Ch 48 was posted as a bonus chapter yesterday so please make sure you read that chapter first.
This chapter was translated by Sian for only and edited by Din2.
By Qian Lu
Chapter 49
A Little Sickness
The sunset during autumn day was warm and absolutely beautiful, but Lu Yi and Jing Shui who were inside Die Cui Xiao Su, did not have any mood to admire the beautiful scenery. It was because the shadow of that person who was still lying down quietly, and did not have any sign that she had woken up yet. Lu Yi was keeping watch in front of the bed, she was not willing to leave even for one step. After a good while, the person’s shadow finally moved slightly, she opened her eyes slowly and with difficulty.
“Miss, you finally woke up, you scare me so much.” Looking at Murong Shu Qing who was finally awaken, Lu Yi emotionally held her hand, her anxious voice already carried a clear sobbing tone.
Once she opened her eyes, she could see Lu Yi whose teary eyes were looking at her, Murong Shu Qing puzzlingly asked: “What happened?”
When she opened her mouth, she just knew that her own voice was hoa.r.s.e and unpleasant to hear, Murong Shu Qing wrinkled her brows, and wanted to sit down with difficultly. She suddenly felt dizzy, and it made her almost collapsed on the bed, a wave of pains invaded her nerves.
Lu Yi hurriedly helped Murong Shu Qing up, took up the cushion for her to lean on, and helped her to sit properly, then she said in fear: “Since you returned last night, you had been sleeping until now, it did not matter how we called you out, you just did not wake up, and scared us to death.”
Last night? Murong Shu Qing strongly kneaded her muddled head, and her mind gradually cleared up. She was drinking with Hai Yue during the night last night, when she returned, she only felt a somewhat sweet-smelling gra.s.s. Unexpectedly, this ‘tasteless’ drink was really unbelievable like this, it made her sleep for almost one day. Her fondness of the cool autumn wind last night, and being on the river for one day, really made her caught a cold. She felt that she could not breathe freely now, and was dizzy with blurry vision. But looking at Lu Yi and Jing Shui who were anxious, Murong Shu Qing tried to smile and said to them: “I am alright.”
Knowing that she forced herself to smile, Jing Shui came to bring a plain rice congee in front of the bed, and said in a whisper: “Miss, you drink this congee first, the medicine is already cold, I will go and warm it up again.”
“What medicine?” Murong Shu Qing was puzzled.
Lu Yi pulled up the thin quilt, and put Murong Shu Qing’s arms inside the quilt, then she explained: “The Eldest Young Master came early to find you today, he tried to wake you up but you did not wake up all along, so Young Master was anxious and asked for a physician. The physician said that you were invaded with evil wind in your body (this is really what some Asians still believe even now), and caught a cold from the wind chill, then he wrote a prescription.”
She was really intoxicated, even the physician did not know it when he came over, she reached out to take the congee from Jing Shui’s hand, but she saw a dark red mark on her hand, Murong Shu Qing asked: “Jing Shui, what happened with your hand?”
Jing Shui hurriedly withdrew her hand, and said: “It is nothing, I was not careful when I made the medicine so I scalded it.”
Murong Shu Qing pulled hand to look, this kind of redness, how could it be nothing, it would be blistering later. Lowly sighing, she said: “You have already scalded your hand, no need to be busy now, just let Lu Yi manage it, and it will be fine.”
Lu Yi carried the medicine bowl that was on the table, and said: “Yes ah, let me do it.”
Jing Shui withdrew her hand that was held by Murong Shu Qing, she took the tray that was on Lu Yi’s hand, hurriedly walked and said: “It is nothing, I can go.”
What was wrong with this girl, she was never an energetic person like this. She was just about to ask Lu Yi what was going on, when Qi Rui’s large and long figure walked in.
Even though Qi Rui was Shu Qing’s elder brother, but due to the rules to protect male and female, he only came to the screen in front of the bed, and stopped his footsteps, then he asked: “Qing-er, did you wake up? Are you feeling better?”
Speaking through the screen like this was really awkward, so Murong Shu Qing took Lu Yi’s hand so she could get up. Qi Rui could vaguely see her figure that was struggling to get up, so he promptly said: “Just lie down, it is fine, do not be near the wind.” She was already a grown up, but she could not take care of her own.
Feeling powerless all over, Murong Shu Qing did not try to stand up again, she asked from behind the screen: “I am alright, is Elder brother looking for me for something?”
“Nothing really, tomorrow is Maternal grandfather’s big birthday, I originally want to take you to pick a few gifts.” During Maternal grandfather’s birthdays in the previous years, Qing-er would bother him to accompany her to buy the gift once she was in the Capital. She had not said anything about this (issue) this year, so he planned to take her out to choose it, but she was unexpectedly sick.
So, as it turned out, it was this matter, Murong Shu Qing was kneading her temple, while she answered: “No need, I have already prepared it.”
Hearing Murong Shu Qing’s voice that was exhausted, Qi Rui did not stay any longer, he got up and said: “Then, you rest nicely, Elder brother is leaving first.”
“Alright.”
Qi Rui was just about to go out, and he met Jing Shui who came in with the medicine. Jing Shui saw the person, and immediately lowered her head to move to the side of the door, so he could go first. But Qi Rui did not leave, and he was rather walking in front of Jing Shui, he anxiously said: “Jing Shui, is your hand feeling better? Let me look at it.”
Jing Shui withdrew for one step to avoid Qi Rui’s hand that was stretching out, she said respectfully but with a clear alienation: “Thank you for Young Master’s concern, this slave servant is very good.”
Her resistance made Qi Rui stuck in a difficult position, he still wanted to say something again, but Jing Shui did not raise her head, she was clearly unwilling to say anything to him. Feeling helpless, he could only take out a porcelain bottle, and put it on the tray that Jing Shui was holding, then said: “You….. remember to rub it in the morning and evening.”
Finished speaking, Qi Rui did not wait for Jing Shui to decline (the medicine), he departed out of Die Cui Xiao Su with quick steps.
Jing Shui did not turn her head around, and was staring at the porcelain bottle for a moment. She was lowering her head all along so no one could see her expression, and also did not know what she was thinking.
Through the screen, Murong Shu Qing could not look clearly, but Qi Rui’s concern towards Jing Shui did not feel like a Master and servant girl’s relationships. But unfortunately, it looked like that the king had a dream but the G.o.ddess did not have a heart (meaning that Qi Rui might like Jing Shui but not vice versa). They could actually be regarded as well matched, but she still wanted to look at what degree of emotion that Qi Rui had towards Jing Shui. But she did not have any mental and physical efforts to take care of it now, her headache made her eyes unable to open quickly.
Taking the warm medicine from Jing Shui’s hand, Murong Shu Qing drank it completely, she lied back down on the bed and sank into drowsiness very quickly.
Murong Shu Qing ate the medicine, and took a nap, so she was feeling very good, even though she was still very tired, and her breathing was still obstructed, but her head was not too painful anymore. Slowly struggling to get up, Lu Yi who was outside the screen preparing tea, hurriedly walked in and helped her up to sit. Murong Shu Qing looked outside the window and the sky was completely dark, the bright moon was scattering the earth, she asked: “What time is it?”
When she just started talking, her throat felt painful as if the medicine burned her up, it made her gasping for one breath and she was coughing instead.
Lu Yi was patting her back for her to breathe, while she handed over the tea that was on her hand, she said: “Xushi (7-9 pm), the old Madam sent someone to bring the meals during dinner time, and also said that the Small Master Uncle (MSQ’s small uncle) and Small Madam Aunt have come back. You have not woken up yet after taking the medicine so the old Madam let you rest properly.”
After drinking a few cups of water, she felt better, giving the empty cup to Lu Yi, Murong Shu Qing thought deeply for a moment, and asked: “En, are all of the people from the Qi’s family here now?”
She did not think that Qi Yu would also return, he was protecting the East China Sea for eight years, and only returned three times. He could be considered to be Dong Yu’s iron bone and dedicated general. His wife, Dong Ruo Xue was actually a famous and number one martial art beauty, her martial art was even more extraordinary. The eight meter white thin silk that was on her hand could transform into an exceptionally sharp weapon, and was well-known within the Jiang Hu’s people. Looking at Qi Feng Zhuo who was already delicate and bright at a very young age, it was not difficult to imagine what kind of a beauty Dong Ruo Xue was.
Lu Yi thought for a moment, and she answered: “Except Small Master Uncle’s older son, Qi Feng Hua who is still learning to become an apprentice to a master, and has not returned, everybody else is here.”
Qi Feng Hua! Was he Dong Ruo Xue’s first born son who was taken by her Master (shifu) right after birth to go up the mountain? He had not returned for 18 years, but she heard when he was taken away during that time, Dong Ruo Xue’s Master had already said that he would let him go down the mountain 18 years later. This year would be the 18th year, so would he appear tomorrow? This really made people to look forward to meeting him.
If all of the people from the Qi’s family were here, that indolent man whom she saw that evening, should be Qi Yun’s older son, Qi Feng Xian. Legend said that Qi Feng Xian was the son from the Qi’s family who would not have any future prospect the most, he had never considered any glory, would only indulge in sensual pleasures, and would drink around. But when she saw him the other day, Qi Feng Xian did not seem to be this idle and dandy person. Then why did he actually put himself to have this kind of image? Murong Shu Qing smiled, the Qi’s family could be considered as hidden dragon, crouching tiger (concealed talent).
Murong Shu Qing slowly lied down, and said to Lu Yi who was beside her: “Send a ma.s.sage to Tan Rui so he can deliver the stuff that I want to the Qi’s family around youshi (5-7 pm) tomorrow.”
“Yes.” Lu Yi answered with a soft voice.
Murong Shu Qing already lied down, but suddenly she turned her body around, tomorrow was Maternal grandfather’s big birthday. If she did not go to pay respect, that could not be justified, she was really unwilling in every possible way, but she did not have any choice but to go either. She could finally and helplessly said to Lu Yi: “Call me to get out of the bed to go and pay respects tomorrow.”
Looking at her painful expression, Lu Yi restrained her smile, nodded her head and said: “Yes.”
Sian’s notes:
It’s so funny that most Asians believe that you can catch a cold by being exposed to the cooler wind especially during fall & winter. Growing up, my mom always told me that I would catch a cold if I went outside (during winter) with my wet hair. But I’ve been living in the Midwest for over 20 years and I always wash my hair every morning without drying it out before I go out, whether it’s in the summer or winter so I somehow prove that this ‘belief’ is somewhat flaws. Hehehehe… Or they also believe that you’ll catch a cold if you get wet from the rain. That’s why most of Asian dramas will show someone will get a fever if she or he is getting wet from the rain.