Chapter 54: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 54: Good Luck Begins to Show
Even though the big runny nose bubble made Feng Xuanrui lose all his gentlemanly grace, it didn't stop him from happily enjoying the preserved fruit his sister gave him.
*Sniff sniff!*
Anything his sister handed over just tasted extra sweet!
Feng Xuanrui stayed in Suisui's room all day. Physician Liu was initially worried about them infecting each other and tried to persuade him to stay in a different room and play by himself. But Feng Xuanrui refused to leave: “No way! I won’t leave my sister’s side!”
*Sniff sniff* “No one can separate me from my sister!”
... The little crybaby started tearing up again, so no one could argue with him further.
Physician Liu, helpless, instructed Qingshan and Qingshui to keep a close eye on things, ready to administer medicine if necessary to prevent further discomfort.
Suisui had a fever all day, and her temperature fluctuated constantly. When it dropped, she excitedly played string games with Feng Xuanrui, but when the fever spiked again, she just flopped onto the bed and refused to move.
By evening, Suisui's fever finally subsided. However, no one knew if it would come back during the night. Physician Liu ordered Diao and Di Yu to take turns keeping watch, just in case.
Suisui ate dinner, drank her medicine, and then fell into a deep sleep. Even though she hadn’t heard her usual bedtime story, the system felt so bad for her that it didn’t dare wake her up.
The system whispered, "Goodnight," and quietly exited.
Suisui slept deeply and soundly, and there was no recurrence of the fever during the night. The next morning, while her complexion was still pale, her energy had returned, and her eyes were bright again.
When Physician Liu entered, he saw the two children playing string games and smiled, “Looks like she’s feeling better!”
He checked her forehead and pulse to confirm everything was normal and finally relaxed. “All is well. Breakfast today will be yam porridge to nourish the stomach, with sweet bean paste buns on the side.”
After eating so little the previous day, Suisui was now hungry. Hearing this, she couldn't help but swallow.
In the past, Suisui would have secretly swallowed her saliva, fearing punishment if her aunt saw her. Even her cousins would laugh at her.
Suisui didn’t understand the concept of shame back then, but she did understand the pain of being mocked and isolated.
Now, however, she dared to take a small step forward. Swallowing some saliva was no big deal—no one would hit her or scold her for it.
Suisui thought to herself that life nowadays was just wonderful! Almost like a dream.
But a quick pinch on her thigh...
*Ouch!*
A little pain, so it’s not a dream.
Thinking of all this, Suisui broke into a wide smile. A child’s laughter, simple and sweet.
Physician Liu patted her head, then helped her change clothes. After being feverish all day yesterday, Suisui's clothes were dirty and smelly. But Physician Liu didn’t plan to bathe her just yet—better to wait until she’s fully recovered. He didn’t want to risk making her sick again.
After changing and washing up, Physician Liu took the children to breakfast.
Upon hearing Suisui was better, Prince Qing specifically came to check on her.
Suisui was no longer afraid of the fierce-looking prince. When she saw him, she obediently greeted him, “Uncle Prince Qing.”
Her brother had told her to call him "Uncle Wang," but Suisui was still too nervous, so she added an extra word for politeness.
Lele said this showed good manners.
After breakfast, they started preparing to set off again. As Suisui and Feng Xuanrui walked out hand in hand, they saw one of Prince Qing's attendants hurrying over with a grim expression.
“Master, we won’t be able to take the previous route,” the attendant said.
Prince Qing frowned. “Why?”
The attendant, his face complicated, glanced at Suisui, his battlefield-hardened presence startling her. The little girl quickly hid behind Feng Xuanrui, peeking out with only half her head showing.
Sensing his sister’s fear, Feng Xuanrui puffed out his chest, standing protectively in front of her. His free hand rested on his hip as he faced down the attendant.
The attendant, realizing he’d been misunderstood, could only sigh inwardly. He wasn’t good with children, so he simply turned back to Prince Qing and explained, “On the road to Shuibiao Town, two small mountains partially collapsed. Yesterday, many rocks tumbled down, injuring several traveling merchants. The medical halls in this town and Shuibiao Town are now full of wounded.”
He glanced briefly at Suisui again, then quickly looked away. “The ones injured are considered the lucky ones. More than 20 people were killed.”
He emphasized, “The collapse happened in the morning, unexpectedly and dangerously.”
Who could have guessed that, after a small rain, a landslide would occur after the skies had cleared?
The attendant had been shocked upon hearing the news. If not for Suisui’s sudden illness, they might have been among those crushed by the falling rocks.
Their planned departure time matched the time of the landslide.
Even if they weren’t killed, they likely would have been injured.
Prince Qing, realizing this, couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. He understood the attendant’s implied meaning. If not for Suisui falling ill, then...
The thought sent cold sweat trickling down his back.
Prince Qing didn’t care much about his own life, having faced death on the battlefield. But there were children with them. Even though his brother, Prince Qi, was desperate for a daughter, that didn’t mean he didn’t love Feng Xuanrui. If something happened to Feng Xuanrui under his care...
Prince Qing shuddered at the thought of his brother’s blame and his own lifelong guilt.
He turned to look at Suisui, his eyes filled with complex emotions and gratitude.
Suisui, who had been curiously peeking out, noticed Prince Qing looking at her and quickly ducked behind Feng Xuanrui again, scared.
(Chapter End)
Comments
Post a Comment