Long San simply laughed: “Butler Yan, please take Lady Nan with you.”
Nan Feng followed Butler Yan, and after several streets, they arrived at a medical hall. Butler Yan mentioned Nan Feng’s intention to the owner of the medical hall who, without asking any questions and out of respect for Butler Yan, quickly handed over a small bottle of medicine pills to Nan Feng.
Nan Feng then asked, “Do only you know about this medicine pill? What if others, especially our colleagues in the provincial city, find out? Can they diagnose it?”
The doctor was slightly indignant at Nan Feng’s question: “Do you not trust me, Lady? This medicine is an original creation of this place and is also a banned medicine expressly forbidden by the court. How can others possess it? If it weren’t for your friendship with Butler Yan and your acquaintance with Long San, I would not have given it to you.”
Nan Feng apologized with a smile: “Thank you, Dr. Zhang.”
After taking the medicine, Nan Feng turned pale that very night. However, she didn’t really feel any disfort except for some weakness in her body.
The next day, Nan Feng pretended to be exhausted and walked to Spikenard Square. Xiaoqing, noticing the pallor of Nan Feng’s face, was certain that she must be ill and hurried to ask her what had happened. Nan Feng merely mentioned a mon cold, and Xiaoqing immediately panicked, “Sister Nan Feng, you should hurry home and rest. Don’t e over here.”
After Xiaoqing had spoken, Xiaolun chimed in, “But Sister Nan Feng doesn’t have any servants at home to take care of her. Why not go up and rest? We haven’t touched your room.”
Nan Feng nodded, then feigned weakness: “Okay, I’ll go rest. The two of you can handle things here. If anyone es looking for me, tell them I’m ill.”
“We understand, Sister Nan Feng,” Xiaoqing said as she helped Nan Feng upstairs to rest.
Once Nan Feng had settled in bed, she looked at Xiaoqing: “Could you go get me two wraps of medicine for the mon cold?”
Nan Feng did have a bit of a cold; her nose was running, so taking medicine for the mon cold wouldn’t be a problem.
After tucking Nan Feng in, Xiaoqing immediately left to procure the medicine.
In the backyard, Xiaoqing began to prepare the medicine. Soon the scent of Chinese medicine pervaded Spikenard Square.
…
When Chief Wang Hui arrived again, he detected the strong smell of Chinese medicine.
“Young lady, where is Lady Nan?” Chief Wang Hui asked Xiaoqing.
“She’s laid up upstairs. She fell ill with a cold,” Xiaoqing replied.
“Oh, how coincidental! She fell ill at this critical moment?” Chief Wang Hui mented.
Xiaoqing couldn’t help but laugh. She had bee quite familiar with Chief Wang Hui after his several visits and had ceased to stand on ceremony: “Chief Wang, can anyone choose when to fall ill? If we could choose, Sister Nan Feng would certainly wait until after your departure to get sick.”
Wang Hui chuckled, then raised his gaze towards the attic: “Is Lady Nan’s illness severe?”
“She said yesterday that she was feeling dizzy and weak. She started feeling listless last night, lost her appetite, and hasn’t eaten anything. Her condition is quite serious,” Xiaoqing said. Unaware of the actual situation and worried about Nan Feng, Xiaoqing’s tone was full of concern, making it seem as if Nan Feng was really severely ill.
Not quite resigned, Wang Hui paced a few steps on the spot, then gazed again at the attic, “May I go upstairs to see her?”
“Well… It’s a lady’s boudoir. I’m afraid that wouldn’t be appropriate,” Xiaoqing responded.
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