Meng Qianqian went to Liu Qingyun’s room and asked her the same question.
Her answer was no different from Lu Yuan’s—Grandmother might be able to cure Shang Changle’s poison, but Witch Mountain had rules, and they did not treat outsiders.
Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan were married, which could make her part of the tribe, but Shang Changle, no matter what, had nothing to do with Miaojiang.
"Can Grandmother make an exception?"
Meng Qianqian asked.
Liu Qingyun lazily removed the jeweled hairpin from her bun. "It’s difficult. My mother is as stubborn as a mule, sticking to her principles no matter what. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stayed on Witch Mountain all this time."
Meng Qianqian frowned silently.
It seemed Lu Yuan hadn’t lied to her; Witch Mountain did indeed have such a rule.
Meng Qianqian lowered her head and glanced at her belly. After a while, she shook her head like a rattle drum.
No, absolutely not!
-
Meng Qianqian took Lady Yan’s medicine to Shang Changle’s room.
Shang Wuyou was still by the bedside.
Lady Yan’s words from earlier had left a huge impact on him. He needed time to process and accept them.
Meng Qianqian did not press him, but instead walked to the bed slowly and spoke softly, "Changle’s high fever will e and go for three to five days. I’ll stay here to take care of her; you can return to your room to rest. During the day, you can switch with me. If you’re not fortable leaving, I’ll have someone set up a bamboo bed for you, but it can only be in the outer room."
Soon, she would need to wipe Changle’s body. Although Wuyou was her biological brother, certain lines still needed to be observed.
Shang Wuyou responded in a low voice, "Set up a bamboo bed for me."
Meng Qianqian had the servants set up a bamboo bed for Shang Wuyou in the outer room and spread some bedding.
Shang Wuyou stayed by his sister’s bedside until nightfall, then went to lie down on the bamboo bed on his own.
He couldn’t sleep.
He lay there with his eyes open, replaying Lady Yan’s words in his mind over and over again.
He and his sister were not their parents’ biological children; they were descendants of the Shang family.
His sister had been poisoned by the man he had called father for over ten years, and his own life had been traded for medicine from Medicine King Valley.
"This can’t be true... It’s impossible..."
He closed his red and swollen eyes, bit by bit clenching his fingers tighter.
At night, Ban Xia walked into the room carrying a food box.
She first noticed Shang Wuyou, who had fallen asleep on the bamboo bed. She walked over and gently pulled the half-slipped quilt back over him, then quietly lifted the curtain and entered the inner room.
Meng Qianqian had just finished administering acupuncture to Shang Changle.
Ban Xia placed the food box on the table. "Miss, has the Second Miss improved?"
Meng Qianqian put away the silver needles, her gaze softening as she looked at the sleeping Shang Changle. "She’s better."
She had fed Shang Changle the medicine Lady Yan had given her, temporarily suppressing the slow poison in her body. At present, her main concern was the cold.
Ban Xia opened the food box. "Miss, you didn’t eat much earlier. Lady Du made dumplings—eat them while they’re hot."
Meng Qianqian was indeed hungry now. She walked over to the table and sat down.
Ban Xia served the dumplings and brought out a basin for Meng Qianqian to wash her hands.
Meng Qianqian washed her hands and asked, "What about Wuyou?"
Ban Xia whispered, "The young master is asleep. Shall I wake him to eat together?"
Meng Qianqian said, "No need. He probably doesn’t have an appetite right now. Let Lady Du prepare something for him when he wakes up."
"Understood."
Ban Xia responded, handing Meng Qianqian a clean handkerchief. After Meng Qianqian had finished wiping her hands, Ban Xia collected the handkerchief and basin and took them away.
Meng Qianqian finished the plate of dumplings pletely and found herself surprised afterward.
"Can I eat this much?"
"... Well, I’m exhausted,"
she murmured softly, setting down the chopsticks with a sigh.
Meng Qianqian stayed by Shang Changle’s side, tending to her day and night for three days.
During this time, Shang Wuyou remained in the outer room, only stepping into the inner room briefly when his sister woke up.
The moment his sister went back to sleep, he would immediately retreat.
It was as if he did not want to linger with Meng Qianqian even for a second.
In the past, Meng Qianqian might have felt hurt by her younger brother’s aloofness, but after being counseled by the Miao King, she had e to appreciate the simple fact that the twin siblings were alive.
Having no extra expectations or demands had made her feel much more at ease.
On the third night, Shang Changle’s fever finally subsided, and her appetite had returned.
"I’m so hungry,"
she said, lying on the bed and looking at Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian smiled faintly and brushed the stray hair away from her cheek. "What would Changle like to eat?"
"Tangyuan,"
Shang Changle replied.
Meng Qianqian chuckled. "Sesame filling, red bean filling, peanut filling—one of each? Shall I add an egg as well?"
Shang Changle nodded obediently.
Perhaps knowing that Meng Qianqian was the one who had cared for her while she was sick had made her sense of unfamiliarity with Meng Qianqian vanish entirely.
The way she looked at Meng Qianqian now was no different from how she looked at Bao Shu.
Meng Qianqian suddenly understood why daughters were always more cherished than sons. Just look at those trusting, dependent eyes—who could resist wanting to hold her in the palm of their hand and protect her?
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