Chapter 75: Falling Ill

The two siblings cried intensely. Yang Chao cried loudly, as boys do. Yang Qian cried softly with teary eyes. Chen Feng couldn’t bear it and brought out a small chicken toy for her. The toy was about twenty centimeters long, with a yellow body and a red comb. Its little feet were in a running position, and even its wings were extended as if in motion. This was something she had prepared to sell in the capital city.

Holding this incredibly lovely toy, the little girl stopped crying and with tears in her eyes said, “This running little chicken is so cute. Qian likes it. Thank you.”

Chen Feng smiled and pinched her little cheek.

Mrs. Wang then put a box of osmanthus glutinous rice dates, a basket of fresh dates, and two baskets of fresh vegetables on the carriage.

As Yang Chao got onto the carriage, he stuck his head out and tearfully said, “I’ll ask Dad later to let me stay overnight at your house.”

The people in the Chen family all expressed their welcome.

After seeing off the two siblings, the Chen household quieted down. Chen Ming, Lu, and Dabao, who were already drowsy, went for a nap. Chen Feng and Mrs. Wang salted the remaining half piece of meat and hung it in a well-lit, ventilated place. The weather was already turning cooler, so with the additional salt, it could last for two days. With so much meat, they planned to eat it during the Mid-Autumn Festival in two days.

Chen Feng then began making osmanthus glutinous rice dates, intending to give some to the steward Luo’s family and keep some for themselves. Although the steward Luo had sent Chu Hanyan to the capital city, Mrs. Luo and the steward Luo, along with their two children, were still in Tangyuan.

When Dabao woke up, he took Zhui Feng to deliver a large bowl to Tangyuan, along with a small bag of fresh dates. He packed these items in a small backpack and carried it over.

Chen Feng hadn’t taught the little boy to speak, but his mouth was as sweet as the osmanthus glutinous rice dates. He spoke with kind words.

After about two hours, Dabao returned, followed by an eleven or twelve-year-old girl. Her name was Xiao Qing, a little maid from the steward Luo’s family, and she looked very clever.

She said that her family’s young  miss and the young master loved this snack. Mrs. Lou was extremely pleased and wanted to express her gratitude. She had specifically sent Xiao Qing to escort Dabao back and also sent a large bowl of braised pork. The large bowl Dabao had brought was filled with hawthorn fruit preserves.

Chen Feng expressed her thanks, poured out the braised pork, and then washed and dried the large wooden bowl. She felt that it wouldn’t be right to send Xiao Qing back with an empty bowl, especially since Mrs. Luo was a thoughtful person.

Chen Feng found it amusing and managed to fit in the remaining glutinous rice dates they had intended for their family, barely filling the bowl.

While she was doing this, she also served Xiao Qing a small plate of glutinous rice dates to eat. After Xiao Qing finished, she filled a sachet with fresh dates for her to take back before finally allowing her to take the large bowl of osmanthus glutinous rice dates back to the steward Luo’s family.

Xiao Qing was still a child, so she enjoyed both eating and taking things. She thanked them and then, with a cheerful expression, hopped and skipped back to Tangyuan, carrying the bowl.

Looking at the large bowl of braised pork, which glistened with a deep red hue and had plenty of fat, Chen Ming said, “Take this meat to your uncle. It’s harvest time now, and they need to eat more fatty foods. Also, take half a goose for them and A’Gui to enjoy with their wine.”

Originally, he wanted to take some special mooncakes and apples to his mother, but he was worried that Mrs. Hu might frequently come to ask for them. He decided to wait and give these treats to her on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The corn and sweet potatoes had started to be harvested sporadically over the past few days. Chen Ming’s family’s three-acre plot was managed by Chen Ye and his son, or rather, it was leased to the main branch of the family. However, Mrs. Hu always claimed that it was the main branch helping the second branch to cultivate the land.

As there was a lot of meat, Chen Feng took out a bowl for the family to eat, and she sent the remaining half to the main branch through Dabao. She instructed him to tell them the truth—that the goose was a gift from Master Yang, and the braised pork was a gift from Madam Luo.

Mrs. Hu never contributed anything when she went to the main branch, nor did she offer any return gifts. In fact, she felt that they should be the ones showing respect and gratitude.

When Dabao returned, the large bowl contained half a bowl of stewed lotus root and pork. This was because Mrs. Hu wasn’t around, so Mrs. Gao and Chen Lan had given it to him. Dabao also mentioned, “Aunt Gao and Aunt Lan said thank you and really liked the satin.”

He also took out a handkerchief and a child’s bellyband from his bulging pockets. The handkerchief was a gift from Chen Lan to Chen Feng, and the bellyband was a gift from Mrs. Gao to Dabao.

Both the handkerchief and bellyband were made of fine cloth and embroidered. Since they were given with such sincerity, Chen Feng accepted their sentiments.

Mrs. Gao and Chen Lan were both kind-hearted. If it weren’t for Mrs. Hu, their relationship with the second branch would definitely have been better.

Afterwards, Mrs. Wang cut two large bowls of rouge goose and packed two bags of hawthorn fruit preserves for Dabao to take to the elders in the family. With the festival approaching, this was considered the family’s gift to their elders.

Chen Feng secretly rejoiced that her father was quite astute and knew how to maintain good relationships with the family elders.

There was still a large bowl of rouge goose left, along with the braised pork, stewed lotus root and pork, and some leftover dishes and soup from lunch. It promised to be another sumptuous dinner.

During dinner, seeing so many delicious dishes, Chen Ming expressed regret, “If it weren’t for fear of upsetting my sister-in-law, with so many good dishes, we could have invited my mother and brother for a drink.”

In the evening, Dabao and Chen Lu happily enjoyed the mooncakes and apples, both of which were new to them.

Mrs. Wang laughed, “After eating so much delicious food and still wanting more, you’re not afraid of bursting your stomach.”

Having said that, she broke open two mooncakes and divided them among the family and the two birds. Chen Feng tasted one, which had a five-nut filling and was quite fragrant. Then, she washed and cut an apple, dividing it among the family and the birds.

When the boys finished eating, Lu and Dabao counted their blessings, realizing they had enjoyed at least ten delicious foods that day. They marveled at how wonderful their lives had become.

The next morning, Chen didn’t get up for breakfast. When Chen Feng went to check on him, she found out that his leg was in severe pain.

It must have been from playing wildly with the children yesterday, causing him to strain his leg.

After Chen Lu returned, Chen Feng specifically asked for a small piece of fragrant Swallow agarwood bark from the Golden Treasure, which she used in Lu’s medicine. When she strained the medicine, she would remove the bark and reuse it when boiling the next batch. Lu’s leg recovered remarkably well and the pain subsided.

Chen Feng decided not to let him out of bed and had Mrs. Wang feed him his meals.

After the meal, Mrs. Wang went to the county town to deliver her embroidery work. She didn’t need to buy anything more, as the festive food was already prepared.

Chen Feng went to the creek outside the village to wash the family’s clothes. When she returned to the courtyard to hang them, she saw a well-dressed young boy wandering outside the fence, occasionally tiptoeing to peek inside.

The boy, about four years old, was fair and plump, dressed in a brown silk robe that reached his knees and pale white trousers. He looked like the young master of an affluent family. Although he seemed unfamiliar, there was also something familiar about him.

Approaching the boy, Chen Feng asked, “Who are you looking for?”

Fearlessly, the boy replied, “I’m looking for Chen Dabao. Is this his home? I heard that his house has a fence around it.”

Chen Feng called for Chen Dabao, who quickly went over to greet the boy, “Ming Cheng, why are you here at my house?”

Chen Feng learned that the boy was Luo Ming Cheng, the grandson of the steward Luo, four years old and a few months younger than Dabao.

Even though the steward Luo’s family were servants, their children were still well dressed. Unlike the rural children like Dabao and Shitou, who roamed freely, why had he come alone? It was quite a distance from Tangyuan to here, involving a large expanse of rice fields.

Chen Feng quickly welcomed Luo Ming Cheng into the courtyard and asked him, “I’m Dabao’s mother. What brings you here to find Dabao?”

Luo Ming Cheng twisted his chubby fingers and said, “I like eating the sweet dates from your house. But my grandma sent so many sweet dates for my father to take to the master’s house in the capital city. I only got to eat a few.” He pouted, looking very distressed, and added, “Sister Hanyan isn’t feeling well. Even my mother has gone to the capital to take care of her.”

At first, Chen Feng thought he was like Yang Chao and Yang Qian, missing their Qiqi and Gray, but it turned out he was only concerned about their food. As for the little girl, what had happened to her? She felt sorry for the child and hoped she would be safe and well.

She stood up and said, “Alright, I’ll prepare something for Ming Cheng right away.”

On the side, Dabao, upon hearing about Chu Hanyan’s illness, also became worried and said, “Mother, Hanyan is sick again.”

Chen Feng comforted him, “There are good doctors in the capital city who will cure her illness.” She then asked him to take Zhui Feng to go to Tangyuan to inform Mrs. Luo that Ming Cheng was at their house, so they need not worry.

Chen Feng went to soak the dates and then took Ming Cheng to the new courtyard, where Qiqi and Gray kept him company.