Chapter 20 – Typhoid Fever

Chu Xiaoqi walked closer and looked at the dozen or so fish laid out on the ground. Then she glanced at Ji Jingze, who was standing still in the river, two long streams of snot running from his nose, and said with a laugh:

“Did this guy suddenly have his meridians unblocked or something?

How did he get so fierce all of a sudden, spearing so many fish?”

Even Ji Jingxuan was shocked by the sight of all the fish—he hadn’t expected that the little rascal could actually be this effective.

“Xiao Ze, that’s enough, come on up.

Don’t spear them all to extinction—leave some for the spring,” Chu Xiaoqi called out.

Hearing her voice, Ji Jingze wiped his nose with his sleeve and hopped excitedly onto the riverbank.

He didn’t even bother to put on his socks and shoes before running up to Chu Xiaoqi to boast, “Sister-in-law, look how many fish I speared!”

“Mhm, amazing!” Chu Xiaoqi gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, without holding back any praise. That made him grin from ear to ear, and he even shot a smug look at Ji Jingxuan.

Ji Jingxuan lowered his head in shame and rubbed his nose awkwardly. Compared to his siblings, he was definitely the least capable.

He wasn’t good at hunting, and couldn’t make money either. It was embarrassing…

“Sister-in-law, let’s take these fish to town tomorrow and sell them, okay?” Ji Jingze asked excitedly, hopping around as he pulled his shoes and socks back on.

Ever since he helped Chu Xiaoqi sell chestnuts and bargained with the butcher in town, his view of doing business had completely changed.

Now, talking about selling things felt totally normal, and he didn’t feel even a shred of shame.

Chu Xiaoqi squatted on the ground, picking up the fish and placing them into a basket, and replied without even looking up:

“These fish aren’t for sale. We’ll take them back, salt them, dry them, and store them for winter when we don’t have fresh vegetables.

You’ve made a huge contribution to our winter food supplies this time—well done!”

Even though they weren’t going to be sold and wouldn’t bring in money, Ji Jingze was so thrilled by the praise that he almost jumped for joy.

“That’s awesome! We’ll have fish to eat in winter!” Ji Jinglan clapped her hands and bounced happily nearby.

The three baskets were filled to the brim and covered with herbs before being carried home.

Once they got back, Chu Xiaoqi slaughtered the wild pheasant and started stewing it. She had Ji Jinglan wash a couple of vegetables to stir-fry into side dishes.

She then gutted and cleaned all the fish, letting them drain so she could salt them after dinner.

Ji Jingze, however, started feeling dizzy and heavy-headed as soon as they got home. His whole body felt off-balance and foggy.

Everyone else was busy, so no one noticed. He leaned against the table in the main hall and eventually dozed off.

Later, when Ji Jinglan came looking for him to help carry firewood, she called out several times, but he didn’t respond. Seeing he had fallen asleep, she gently reached out to shake him awake.

Who would’ve expected that as soon as she touched him, Ji Jingze’s body tilted and—thud—he collapsed to the floor, completely motionless.

Ji Jinglan was so frightened she burst into tears and started shouting, “Ah! Second Brother… Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!”

Everyone rushed toward the main hall upon hearing her screams.

When Ji Mother saw Ji Jingze lying on the floor with a flushed face, she began crying in a panic, completely at a loss for what to do.

Ji Jingxuan quickly scooped Ji Jingze into his arms and shook him, calling out, “Xiao Ze, Xiao Ze…”

Chu Xiaoqi ran in, wiping her hands on her apron. She rushed to his side, crouched down, and grabbed Ji Jingze’s wrist to check his pulse. Then she reached out to touch his forehead.

“He was in the river too long—he’s caught a cold and has a fever.

First, get him to bed and let him lie down.”

“Xiaolan, bring a basin of water. Wet a cloth and put it on his forehead to bring down the fever—otherwise, he might end up with brain damage,” she instructed clearly.

After giving out directions, she turned and went to the courtyard, picking out a large handful of herbs from the medicine shelf before heading into the kitchen.

Ji Mother wanted to suggest getting a doctor from town to check on Ji Jingze—but she didn’t dare to…

Ji Mother was already sitting anxiously by Ji Jingze’s bedside, quietly wiping away tears.

Half an hour later, Chu Xiaoqi came in carrying a bowl of medicinal soup and sat down by the bed. “Xiao Ze, get up and drink your medicine.”

She called him twice, but there was no response from the bed.

Ji Mother looked at the bowl of medicine in Chu Xiaoqi’s hand, hesitating to speak.

She had never heard that Chu Xiaoqi knew anything about medicine. She wasn’t sure if what was in that bowl could really be drunk—or if it might send Ji Jingze off to the afterlife right on the spot.

She quietly tugged at Ji Father’s sleeve. Ji Father gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, signaling her to trust.

But with the patient unconscious, there was no way to feed him the medicine. Chu Xiaoqi thought for a moment, then said playfully:

“Xiao Ze, the wild pheasant soup smells so good!

Too bad you’re sick. I guess we’ll just have to eat your share for you.

But… if you drink this medicine now, maybe you’ll be better by dinnertime…”

Before she even finished speaking, the previously motionless figure on the bed suddenly sat straight up, eyes still closed, mumbling, “Chicken soup…”

Ji Jingxuan quickly supported him, grabbed the bowl from Chu Xiaoqi’s hand, and without hesitation, poured the medicine down Ji Jingze’s throat.

“Xiaolan, heat up the bed for your second brother. Once he sweats it out, he’ll be fine,” Chu Xiaoqi instructed.

Ji Jinglan immediately ran off to stoke the bed stove.

“All right. Those who have work to do, go do it. If not, stay here and keep watch—check his forehead temperature regularly.

If the fever breaks in the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, he’ll be fine. If not, come get me from the kitchen.”

With that, she turned and left. She still had food stewing over the fire in the kitchen and needed to watch it.

After Chu Xiaoqi left, Ji Mother anxiously clutched Ji Father’s arm. “Dear, maybe you could go talk to Xiaoqi and ask her to bring a doctor from town for Xiao Ze?

We’ve never heard of her knowing medicine. What if something—”

“I believe in Xiaoqi. She wouldn’t do anything unless she was sure.” Before Ji Father could even respond, Ji Jingxuan interrupted firmly.

“I… I’m just worried,” Ji Mother said softly, a little aggrieved at his tone.

Ji Father patted her hand gently and comforted her, “I believe in Xiaoqi too…

These past few days, I’ve seen it. That girl knows her limits. She wouldn’t mess around.”

With both her husband and son expressing trust in Chu Xiaoqi, Ji Mother, though still worried, didn’t dare speak further.

Ji Jingxuan remembered Chu Xiaoqi’s instructions and checked Ji Jingze’s temperature after the incense had burned down.

“It’s down! The fever’s really gone!” he cried excitedly, placing his hand on Ji Jingze’s forehead. Without another word, he rushed into the kitchen. “Xiaoqi! Xiao Ze’s fever broke!”

Chu Xiaoqi nodded calmly, not the least bit surprised.

She had complete confidence in her medical skills—if she couldn’t even treat a mild fever like this, what was the point of earning a doctorate in medicine?

“Once he sweats it out, he’ll be fine. No need to keep guarding him. Tell your parents to wash up and come eat.”

Ji Jingxuan nodded dumbly and ran out of the kitchen—but just as he stepped outside, he stopped, suddenly feeling a bit down.

Did Chu Xiaoqi not want to acknowledge his parents as her own in-laws? Did that mean she didn’t consider him her husband either?

The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. Even during dinner, he ate gloomily, barely touching his food.

Before the meal, Chu Xiaoqi took a large bowl, placed a chicken leg in it, and ladled in some soup. She also prepared a small bowl of rice and added a portion of vegetables on top.

“Xiaolan, keep these warm by the stove. When your second brother wakes up, bring them to him.”

The Ji family thought she was preparing the food for—

The meal Chu Xiaoqi had prepared earlier turned out to be for Ji Jingze. When Ji Jingxuan realized this, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy toward his younger brother.

After dinner, Ji Father and Ji Mother went to sit with Ji Jingze in his room. Ji Jingxuan and Chu Xiaoqi took a bath and returned to their room, while Ji Jinglan stayed behind in the kitchen to clean up.

Chu Xiaoqi sat cross-legged on the heated bed, calculating the budget for tomorrow’s trip to the city. She had to account for purchasing cloth, cotton, and winter supplies—how much would she have left after that?

And then there were Ji Jingxuan’s expenses for his upcoming autumn imperial exam trip to Mangzhou—food, lodging, travel…

By the time she calculated everything, there were hardly a few coins left in her little money box.

That wouldn’t do. Tomorrow, she needed to scout around the city for another small business opportunity, or else they’d soon eat through all their savings.

Ji Jingxuan noticed she had been quiet since returning to the room. He tapped on his ink box to get her attention.

Sure enough, she looked up with a puzzled expression. “What is it?”

“No more ink,” he replied.

Chu Xiaoqi nodded. “Write me a list of what you’re missing. After I sell the chestnuts in town tomorrow, I’ll pick it up for you.”

Ji Jingxuan got up from his desk and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll go with you tomorrow. I need to visit the academy and have the teacher look over an essay.

Once you’re done selling chestnuts, we can go shopping together.”

“Alright, I’ll come find you at the academy entrance after I finish selling.”

She figured that since Ji Jingze was still sick and wouldn’t be able to help tomorrow, hauling everything back with just Ji Jinglan would be tiring. Going with Ji Jingxuan would definitely make things easier.

She checked the time and figured Ji Jingze should be waking up soon. So she got off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and headed toward his room.

Ji Jingxuan saw her leave and quickly followed, just in case she needed any help.

As she stepped into the room, Ji Jingze slowly opened his eyes.

“You’re awake?”

Ji Father and Ji Mother were seated a bit away from the heated bed, and if it weren’t for Chu Xiaoqi speaking up, they wouldn’t even have noticed he’d woken up.

Ji Jingze sat up, blinking in confusion at everyone in the room.

Chu Xiaoqi sat down beside him and reached out to feel his forehead. “The fever’s completely gone.”

“Sister-in-law… did you guys eat all the pheasant?” Ji Jingze asked in a nasal, sulky voice, lips pouting with disappointment.

Chu Xiaoqi flicked a finger against his forehead. “I saved you a big chicken leg. It’s warming by the stove—your big brother will bring it over.

But after you eat, you need to take another dose of medicine. If not, you’ll only be allowed to drink plain porridge tomorrow.”

The moment Ji Jingze heard he still had a chicken leg waiting for him, he grinned wide with childish glee. “Sister-in-law, you’re so good to me. When I grow up, I’ll definitely be good to you.”

Chu Xiaoqi reached out and pinched his cheek. “Alright, I’ll be waiting for you to grow up and take care of me.”

She said it with a smile, but inside, she couldn’t help but shake her head helplessly. She doubted she’d live to see that day come.

Laughter filled the room. Ji Father smiled too, but his eyes quietly reddened.

In all fourteen years of Ji Jingze’s life, he had never acted so affectionately with them as parents. Yet here he was, acting like a spoiled little child with Chu Xiaoqi.

In the end, it was their failure as parents. They’d been so preoccupied with survival that their children had forgotten how to act like children.

Ji Mother felt the same bitter regret. Since Ji Jingze was three, he had never whined or clung to her. Instead, he always acted like a little adult, trying to protect her.

Looking back, she realized that in all these years, she had barely fulfilled the duties of a mother—barely offered any real protection or affection.