Chapter 56: The Maid Xiao Cui
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Fengshan City was boundlessly huge – this was Xu Yan’s first impression of this Fengdu. After seeing the Mei family’s main pharmacy in Fengshan City, he was stunned into thinking this pharmacy was a huge inn or tavern.
The pharmacy had three floors – how many medicinal herbs could it hold?
The Mei family pharmacy indeed had an extensive variety of medicinal herbs. From thousands of medicinal materials, Xu Yan finally gathered all the herbs needed to prepare the antidote. Not only did he take enough medicine for detoxification, Xu Yan also took several additional types. Over a hundred varieties of medicinal materials made the Mei family steward’s eyes go straight.
Just eating a poisonous mushroom – was it necessary to use so many types of herbs?
Since it was for treating their own young lady, the steward didn’t say much. After Xu Yan gathered the herbs, he brought him back to the Mei mansion.
Once the herbs were collected, brewing was relatively much simpler. A red-hot stove held a medicine pot, bubbling with rich medicinal aroma.
The medicine brewing location was in the Mei family’s side quarters, usually a place for lodging guests. On the bed in the room, Mei Sanniang remained unconscious.
Xu Yan had thought Mei Sanniang was kept in the rear quarters, but she had actually been placed in such a location. He once again felt the Mei family’s coldness and estrangement toward Mei Sanniang, as if this woman no longer belonged to the Mei family.
Actually, Mei Sanniang had indeed been carried to the rear quarters, then driven out by her two sisters-in-law, who said women from bandit lairs were unclean and brought bad luck. The Mei family were prominent people – if outsiders knew, how could they maintain their standing in Fengdu? Did they still want their century-old reputation?
When returning after finding the herbs, Xu Yan heard two women in luxurious clothing with heads full of golden hairpins standing outside the side quarters door, hands on hips, scolding several ignorant maidservants.
Those two wore silk and satin, full of noble airs – they were Mei Sanniang’s two sisters-in-law. They should have been relatives, but unexpectedly their words were venomous.
Saying things like women in bandit lairs had to become prostitutes to survive, how shameless to return home after serving bandits for five years, not afraid of neighbors’ mockery. If they had been captured by thieves, they would have slit their own throats long ago – who would have the face to return? Speaking of their anger, one slightly older woman kept pinching a maidservant, cursing them for being blind and daring to carry such a dirty woman to the rear quarters.
Without looking, that girl’s body must be covered in bruises.
Xu Yan entered this side quarters room under the women’s malicious words and contemptuous gazes. The little Taoist holding medicinal herbs didn’t even glance at the two women, provoking the two gossips to add another charge of improper relations with a Taoist to Mei Sanniang’s crimes. They cursed viciously again about how today’s Taoists had no shame before twisting their fat waists and leaving.
Since it was cursing, Xu Yan naturally turned a deaf ear. They were just things no different from ghosts. His ability to see without seeing wasn’t practiced for nothing.
While Xu Yan was brewing medicine, a figure stumbled in. From her dress, she was also a maidservant, wearing a married woman’s hairstyle. As soon as she entered, she began crying.
“Miss! Miss! Wuu wuu wuu…”
The arriving maidservant was named Xiao Cui, originally Mei Sanniang’s personal maid. When the young lady met disaster, the original maid lost her mistress. Later she was transferred by the second madam and now served Mei Sanniang’s second sister-in-law.
A maid who had followed Mei Sanniang since childhood could be considered like sisters. After five years apart, Xiao Cui had long thought the young lady died at the hands of fierce bandits. Today learning the young lady had returned, she immediately hurried over. Just now seeing the two madams cursing outside the door, she didn’t dare enter. Only after they left did she dare come in to visit.
“Miss, what’s wrong with you? Wake up, Miss.” Finally seeing Mei Sanniang but in an unconscious state, Xiao Cui’s tears couldn’t stop flowing.
Finally seeing someone close, after Xu Yan learned Xiao Cui’s identity, he briefly explained Mei Sanniang’s condition. Thus he finally had a helper.
Unable to lift either hand, those medicinal herbs had been carried back by Xu Yan gritting his teeth. Without Xiao Cui’s help, relying on Xu Yan alone, he might not have been able to light the firewood even after dark.
After an hour of brewing, the antidote was finally prepared. Having Xiao Cui pour it down for Mei Sanniang, Xu Yan examined her and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Her brow center wasn’t black, her pupils hadn’t enlarged – the poison hadn’t reached her heart meridians yet. Third Sister’s life was saved.
One dose of medicine couldn’t cure the deadly gelsemium poison. The poison in Mei Sanniang’s body had been suppressed by the antidote and wouldn’t act up temporarily. To completely expel it would take at least half a month.
Since he had taken enough medicine, Xu Yan naturally stayed at the Mei family.
The Mei family’s side quarters weren’t just one building but a row. Recently there probably weren’t many visitors – over ten spacious side quarters were all empty, with tables, chairs, and furniture all complete. Living there was more comfortable than an inn.
Choosing a room next to Mei Sanniang’s, Xu Yan would brew medicine twice daily. Xiao Cui would also come help. After three days passed, Mei Sanniang finally awakened. Her complexion wasn’t too good, but her spirits were decent.
“How many days did I sleep?”
The woman leaning against the headboard had bright eyes, though with some faint sadness. She recognized where this was – not her boudoir, but quarters for entertaining outsiders.
“Three days.”
Xu Yan’s head lifted from the large bowl on the table, rice grains all around his mouth, grinning as he spoke.
No choice – unable to lift either hand, eating could only be done by burying his face in the bowl. The little black pig on the ground, also with its face buried in a food basin, heard the commotion and also lifted its head, snorting loudly. Fortunately the Mei family still provided meals, or both Xu Yan and the pig would go hungry.
The little Taoist moving like a pig made the woman giggle continuously. The slight gloom in her heart from being coldly treated by family members became irrelevant.
Being alive was better than anything.
“Help me up.” Mei Sanniang struggled to rise.
“Third Sister, you need to rest quietly.” Xu Yan hurried over to stop her: “You need at least another half month before you can get out of bed. The poison isn’t completely eliminated yet.”
Grabbing Xu Yan’s Taoist robe, Mei Sanniang shakily sat up, pointing to the large wooden tub behind the screen: “Go get some hot water for Third Sister. I want to wash myself.”
Women all loved cleanliness. After traveling for over half a month, while Xu Yan didn’t care, Mei Sanniang probably couldn’t stand it long ago. No choice – Xu Yan had to go outside to find water.
Fortunately, there was a well not far away. The room had a stove and large pot – heating water wasn’t troublesome, just carrying water was deadly.
Xu Yan’s arms couldn’t move, so Little Black became the main force for hauling water. After eating its fill, pigs could also work.
With great difficulty getting half a tub of hot water, Xu Yan was exhausted and covered in sweat. This still wasn’t good enough – Mei Sanniang called him a lazy ghost reincarnated, so he could only make a long face and prepare to eat several more bowls at dinner.
Xu Yan’s arms were injured in the tendons but not the bones. A few months of care would heal them. This was also because young people’s bodies were flexible – as long as it wasn’t a serious injury, recovery time was much faster than adults.
Supported by the little Taoist to the water tub, Mei Sanniang casually scattered dried plum blossoms from the small wooden box throughout the tub. This was also her habit, the only memory not forgotten in five years.
Looking at the petals floating on the water surface, Mei Sanniang breathed out a long sigh.
She had originally wanted to thoroughly wash herself before returning home, washing away those unbearable memories. Now it seemed that even if she washed off a layer of skin, she couldn’t exchange it for her family’s forgiveness and acceptance.
Gently pulling the sash, a glimpse of fragrant shoulder appeared. Snow-white shoulders and back like mutton fat jade suddenly appeared before her eyes. The woman with her back to Xu Yan began loosening her clothes, laughing sweetly as the frightened little Taoist fled in panic.
