Chapter 375: Medicine Fruit Grape Tree
Chapter 375: Chapter 375: Medicine Fruit Grape Tree
Xie Suzhi grasped Shen Ningning’s small hand.
"Don’t go to the palace for the next few days. There might be a plague spreading. The Crown Prince asked me to bring you a letter," he said in a low voice.
He turned his head and saw Wuer behind Shen Ningning, supported by Chen Ye. The boy’s face was flushed bright red, like a cooked shrimp.
Something was wrong. Xie Suzhi’s brow furrowed immediately.
"What’s wrong with him?"
Shen Ningning was reading the letter from Mo Lingwei.
It was clear his handwriting was rushed.
"Do not enter the palace for now. When things are safe, I will come find you."
The little one was completely focused on the letter, so she answered Xie Suzhi without thinking, "I think Wuer has the plague too. I was about to take him back to Xiangyun Village to treat him."
Xie Suzhi was shocked. "That’s out of the question!"
He didn’t care about the villagers of Xiangyun Village, but he cared about his daughter.
Ningning was only five. How could he let her take care of an even younger child?
Shen Ningning folded the letter. "Daddy, it’s okay! I have spring water on my mountain. I just need to let Wuer soak in it for a bit and he’ll be fine."
How could Xie Suzhi possibly be at ease?
"He’s already sick. If he goes to Wolf Mountain, it won’t be easy to see a doctor," Xie Suzhi thought for a moment.
Then he added, "How about this? We have a secluded courtyard in our mansion that hasn’t been used for a long time. I’ll have someone clean it up, and you can have Wuer stay there."
Shen Ningning was a little worried.
"But Daddy, Wuer has the plague. If we bring him into the mansion..." She was worried about infecting the family.
Wuer, still being supported by Chen Ye, was barely breathing.
He lifted his head, his childish voice weak. "Sir, you and Sister Ningning are both good people. Please don’t trouble yourselves over Wuer."
Xie Suzhi said sternly, "We will do as I say. Ningning, you don’t need to worry either."
"Our side courtyard has two corner gates for access. We can seal one and assign specific people to deliver medicine and food. Nothing will go wrong."
Hearing this, Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes, still hesitant.
Xie Suzhi gently patted her little head.
"Ningning, Daddy is your rock. When things like this happen, you should come to me for help, not think you have to handle it all by yourself."
Warmth spread through Shen Ningning’s heart. Then, in her sweet, childlike voice, she said, "Okay, I’ll listen to Daddy’s arrangements! Brother Chen, help Wuer into the carriage!"
Xie Suzhi fully supported Shen Ningning’s choice.
After he returned to the mansion, the first thing he did was have the servants clean up the side courtyard.
He also assigned two maids to take turns delivering food and medicine to Wuer.
Shen Ningning saw that there was an ordinary lotus pond in the courtyard. It had no fish, only a few pink lotus plants.
The little one thought for a moment, and when no one was looking, she secretly filled the pond with Spiritual Spring Water.
Wuer was terribly ill. He had just been carried to the bed when he fainted from the fever again.
Xie Suzhi called for Sima Han to come and examine him.
He prescribed a remedy for the plague.
"Ningwa, how did you recover so completely from the plague last time?" Sima Han asked.
Because the plague was like a death sentence from King Yan himself.
Many who contracted it would be dead within a month.
Yet last time, Shen Ningning’s illness had come on ferociously, but she had ended up making a miraculous and complete recovery.
Sima Han had been curious about it ever since.
The little one said softly, "I soaked in the spring water and ate some fruit from the mountain, and I got better."
After speaking, Shen Ningning pointed to the Lotus Pond in the courtyard.
"I just poured the spring water from my flask into the pond. It should work too. Grandpa Divine Doctor, have Wuer soak in it every day along with his medicine. He’ll get better faster!"
The Divine Doctor agreed, then couldn’t help but glance twice at the Lotus Pond outside.
’What kind of spring water is so magical that it can cure illnesses?’
「The next two days.」
Shen Ningning had someone deliver the prescription written by the Divine Doctor Sima Han to Mo Lingwei at the palace.
She also made some plague-warding medicine bags to give to her classmates at the National Academy.
More and more people in the city gradually began to show signs of the plague.
Xiangyun Village was like a paradise, untouched. Every household was self-sufficient, so with the plague raging in the city, they simply stopped going out altogether.
That day, Second Madam Xie crept up to the gate of the side courtyard and peered inside.
The courtyard was completely quiet; not a single person was in sight.
She furrowed her brow in confusion.
’Strange. Who on earth did they bring back to live here? So secretive, hiding them away so no one can see?’
Second Madam Xie’s expression changed. ’Don’t tell me my brother-in-law is planning to take a concubine?’
Last night during dinner, Second Master Xie had sent someone to warn her not to go near the side courtyard.
Although no reason was given, Second Madam Xie guessed that Xie Suzhi had most likely hidden a woman there.
Otherwise, what other reason could there be to keep her away?
She was just about to step inside to see for herself.
But unexpectedly, a maid came rushing out, carrying a basin of bloody water.
Second Madam Xie nearly collided with her. When she saw what the maid was carrying, she shrieked, "This! Where did all this blood come from?"
The maid hurriedly curtsied and replied, "A while ago, the Commandery Princess saved a child with the plague. The Master had him placed here for treatment."
"Just now, the young master vomited blood all over himself. This servant was just about to go clean him up."
Second Madam Xie’s face went pale with fright. Covering her nose and mouth, she stumbled backward.
"Get it away! Get it away from me!"
The maid left with the copper basin.
Second Madam Xie fled, staggering back to her own courtyard.
Though it was a hot July, she was drenched in a cold sweat.
’He’s insane! Absolutely insane! Big Brother is spoiling Shen Ningning rotten!’
He even dared to bring someone with the plague into the Xie Mansion to live.
What were she and Xie Yuanjiu supposed to do now?!
In the afternoon, when Xie Yuanjiu returned, Second Madam Xie tearfully told her what had happened.
"Jiu Jiu, let’s move to the other villa immediately! Your uncle has gone mad! He listened to Shen Ningning and brought someone with the plague into the mansion!"
Xie Yuanjiu was surprised to hear this.
But she quickly calmed down.
"Mother, is what you’re saying true?"
"I saw it with my own eyes! Some lowborn brat from who-knows-where, even vomiting blood! It’s clear he won’t last long. Let’s leave right now, we can’t let them drag us down with them!"
Xie Yuanjiu grabbed the panicking Second Madam Xie.
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
"Mother, you’re being foolish. If Shen Ningning did this, the one who should be leaving is the person she brought in. Why should it be us?" Xie Yuanjiu said, a thoughtful look on her face.
「That night.」
Shen Ningning had a dream.
In her Immortal Realm, there was a large pool filled to the brim with crystal-clear Spiritual Spring Water.
Beside the pool, a tree had surprisingly sprouted, bearing translucent, sparkling fruit.
They looked like grapes, growing in cluster after cluster, and were a pale green color.
A fresh fragrance filled the air around the tree.
In her dream, Shen Ningning stood on her tiptoes, picked two, and tasted them.
They were so sweet that the little one woke up from her dream with a happy laugh!
She quickly entered her Immortal Realm to see if such a tree really existed.
The moment she entered, she was stunned by the sight before her.
There really was a grapevine! And it was growing right next to the Lotus Pond!
The tree was tall and lush, its jade-green leaves clear and bright under the sun. Even the fruits were sparkling and translucent!
Shen Ningning quickly ran over, stood on her tiptoes, and popped one into her mouth.
"It’s just as sweet as in my dream!" the little one exclaimed with delight.
Just then, her watery eyes glanced to the side.
She saw a plaque hanging on the tree trunk, which seemed to have some words written on it.