Chapter 24 – Could Shen Qian Be Pregnant?

“Alright!”

Ren Bang nodded slightly. Jiang Wan’s reminder had indeed helped him. He instructed another officer to watch over the fire, then took Old Zhang behind a tree for cupping therapy.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wan led Madam Song behind a big tree, where Song Jiuli used their old clothes to block Madam Song’s figure from view.

Jiang Wan, seemingly from out of nowhere, produced a piece of ginger and skillfully scraped it across Madam Song’s back.

“Ah…”

Madam Song gritted her teeth. Having lived a life of comfort for so many years, her body was delicate. Even Jiang Wan’s light scraping hurt terribly.

“Mother, bear with it a little.”

Jiang Wan sighed. She wasn’t using much force anyway. She planned to add some medicinal pills to Madam Song’s water later.

After they were done, Jiang Wan gave Madam Song a drink of water. The moment the water entered her throat, a refreshing coolness spread through her body—it felt especially soothing.

“It really feels better.”

She thought it was the scraping that helped and became even more touched. Jiang Wan didn’t have time to explain; she needed to make the herbal drink for everyone.

Unlike Madam Song and Old Zhang who were lucky, the others could only press on their own bodies as best they could. If one looked closely, many people were suffering from heatstroke.

Even the Old Madam Song and Song Chen’s group hadn’t been spared. Jiang Wan pursed her lips and quickly prepared the herbal remedy, instructing everyone to line up to get their share.

Naturally, the officers were served first, followed by the commoners. Whether intentionally or not, everyone let the Song family’s first branch go ahead.

Song Erniang and Shen Qian were furious but dared not say a word—after all, the other side had the numbers.

When it was finally their turn, Jiang Wan couldn’t stand their resentful expressions pretending to be helpless. Her hand trembled slightly while holding the ladle, and only half a bowl of the soup landed in Shen Qian’s bowl.

“You—”

Shen Qian was furious and wanted to speak, but when she met Jiang Wan’s smirking eyes, the words caught in her throat.

When it was Song Erniang’s turn, Jiang Wan did the same, provoking an outburst.

“Jiang Wan, we’re relatives after all. How could you do this to Yuan’er?”

“If you don’t want it, then scram!”

Jiang Wan didn’t think she was being unreasonable. First, she wanted to maintain good relations with the officers, and second, it was a chance to help the Chen family.

She had noticed a glance exchanged between Song Jiuyuan and the girl from the Chen family—they clearly knew each other.

Song Erniang was stunned by Jiang Wan’s shouting. She wanted to appeal to the officers, but those who had benefited from Jiang Wan all pretended not to see a thing.

Fuming, Song Erniang nearly smashed her bowl. She sneered coldly, “You don’t even know medicine—who knows if this stuff actually works.”

“Oh? You don’t believe me?”

Jiang Wan immediately knocked the soup out of her bowl. “Then don’t drink it. If anything happens, you’d probably blame me.”

Song Erniang: !!!

She stared at her now-empty bowl in shock. She had only said it in passing—did Jiang Wan really have to go that far?

“Jiang Wan, don’t go too far!”

Song Lao’er, standing behind Song Erniang, scowled, eyes filled with hostility and menace.

But Jiang Wan acted as if she didn’t hear him. “Looks like you don’t want it either. Next!”

She completely skipped over the second branch of the Song family. The officers pretended not to see anything. The second branch could do nothing.

Seeing this, the third branch dared not make trouble and quietly accepted their half bowls of soup.

Jiang Wan felt a little disappointed—why weren’t they acting up too? If they had, she could’ve made sure they didn’t get a single drop.

Soon it was the Chen family’s turn. Now only three remained: Chen Ce, Madam Chen, and their five-year-old son Chen Wenhao.

At that moment, Madam Chen carried the semi-conscious child while Chen Ce held a bowl.

Jiang Wan filled the bowl to the brim and, noticing the child’s flushed face, reached out to touch it.

“He has a fever.”

“A fever?”

Madam Chen quickly felt her son’s forehead, bursting into tears in shock. “His grandmother died from a fever…”

She had fallen ill upon hearing of their household’s confiscation and hadn’t survived to the exile.

Jiang Wan felt a pang in her heart. “Take him aside. I’ll take a look at him in a bit.”

“Sister Jiang, I’ll do it. You go ahead.”

Xiao Deng had finished drinking and conveniently took over the task of distributing the soup. Jiang Wan didn’t argue and went aside with the Chen family.

“Mom… mom…”

The child murmured weakly in his mother’s arms. Madam Chen, heart aching, gently patted his back to soothe him.

Jiang Wan placed her fingertips on the child’s pulse, sighed after a moment, and said:

“He does have a fever. Keep a wet towel on his forehead now and then.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a high fever—more like a low-grade one. Physical cooling might help him recover quickly.

“Thank you.”

Madam Chen’s face was full of gratitude, her eyes sincere. She looked like she wanted to kneel in thanks, but Jiang Wan quickly held her back.

“We’re all exiles here. Helping each other is the only way to survive.”

“Yes, yes.”

Madam Chen nodded vigorously and hugged her child tightly. Chen Ce had already fetched a wet towel from the creek and placed it on the boy’s forehead.

When Jiang Wan returned, Song Jiuli couldn’t help but ask softly, “Sister-in-law, do you know them?”

She seemed to treat them even better than her.

“Nope.”

Jiang Wan subtly glanced at Song Jiuyuan, who appeared indifferent, eyes lowered, but his ears were clearly tuned in. She found it a bit amusing.

She shrugged. “I just felt bad for the kid. Kids aren’t like adults. A prolonged fever might turn him into a fool.”

In her past life, Jiang Wan had seen such cases. Judging by the Chen family’s character now, and the fact she had looted their storage, she figured saving the child was the least she could do.

“Huh?”

Song Jiuli looked stunned. Madam Song poked her forehead.

“These things happen in the capital. I heard the Minister of Revenue’s illegitimate son was out of favor, had a fever, and no one cared. He ended up a fool.”

“Heavens…”

Song Jiuli covered her mouth in shock. She looked so much cuter like this compared to her usual sharp-tongued self. Jiang Wan hoped she would stay this way.

After a bowl of the herbal drink, most people who were previously dizzy now felt much better—except for the second branch.

At this moment, Shen Qian was vomiting—bringing up bile, since she hadn’t eaten anything oily for a while.

Just as she wiped her lips, Jiang Wan looked at her with a smirk and said to Madam Song:

“Mother, could Shen Qian be pregnant? She’s vomiting just like a pregnant woman.”

Shen Qian, who had married the same day as Jiang Wan, nearly fainted from rage. This wretch was implying she was unchaste!

“I’m not!”

Shen Qian dug her nails into her palm to calm herself. “I just have heatstroke.”

“That doesn’t look like it.”

Jiang Wan smiled innocently but her words were cutting. “You all were right earlier—exile isn’t like anything else.

If you’re pregnant, you need to be especially careful. Hurting the child would be a huge loss.”