"Returning to Before Husband's Castration" 《回到老公自宫前》Chapter 30

 Hearing Lu Ying misunderstand him and act in a completely opposite way, Lu Bing felt he was going to have another stroke, stroke on top of another stroke.

However Lu Bing was like a baby in a cradle after his stroke, weak, pitiful and unable to speak, he could only let the others do what they want, suffering an unspeakable bitterness.

He didn’t trust Wei Cai Wei, but Wei Cai Wei really did save his life.

When imperial physician Song rushed over on hearing this, he saw Wei Cai Wei was putting in needles, letting blood out and carrying out moxibustion, Lu Bing had clearly improved, imperial physician Song wiped his sweat, he said: “This female doctor has done very well, if I was a little later, I’m afraid you would be paralysed on one side of the body.”

Wei Cai Wei’s body wasn’t well to begin with, she forced herself to treat Lu Bing, she almost couldn’t even hold a needle, when imperial physician Song arrived, Wei Cai Wei gave way to him, telling imperial physician Song what treatments she had carried out on Lu Bing just now, then she left to rest in the guest room next door.

As soon as she entered the room, she heard earth shattering snoring—- Wang Da Xia had actually slept through all of this, he was completely ignorant of what happened next door!

How tired was he! 

Not only that, Wang Da Xia even changed his sleeping position, he moved from his back to his side, curling up his long legs, which there were no room for, up to his stomach, his whole body was lying on the table, looking like a cooked prawn, resembling a foetus in the mother’s body.

Lu Ying remained by Lu Bing’s side, watching imperial physician Song continue to treat his father, there were only Wang Da Xia and Wei Cai Wei in the guest room.

Wei Cai Wei saw his sleeping position was too exhausting so she brought the pillow over from the day bed, lightly lifting Wang Da Xia’s head and switching it over with the brick like <Great Ming Law>.

In the last life they were husband and wife for thirty years, her concern for her deceased husband was instinctual, seeing him suffer, she wanted to stop it, let him be more comfortable and nothing else?

The fast asleep Wang Da Xia smoothed out his brows, his head rubbed against the soft pillow, Wei Cai Wei was worried the pillow would fall off, so she stood behind the pillow and used her waist to push against it.

Wang Da Xia reached both hands behind him, picking up the pillow he held it in his arms, without the pillow, his neck felt uncomfortable, in his sleep Wang Da Xia felt he was on a bed, he turned over, wanting to change into a more comfortable position.

Seeing Wang Da Xia was about to roll off the table, Wei Cai Wei hurriedly reached out to push his shoulders, “Don’t move, you’re about to fall.”

Wang Da Xia was startled awake, seeing a pair of pale hands on his shoulders, he stared at them, Wei Cai Wei was next to him and was standing close to his head.

Wang Da Xia sat up at once clutching the pillow to him, “What are you doing? You won’t give up on me.”

“I kindly gave you a pillow.” Wei Cai Wei pointed at the <Great Ming Law> on the bookshelf, “that pillow is too hard, take care not to get a stiff neck.”

Wang Da Xia looked around, he clutched the pillow in his arms even tighter, like a beauty coming across an evil assailant, “Where is leader Lu? Why are there only two of us here, a man and woman together in one room, what a scandal!”

Wang Da Xia glanced at <Great Ming Law>, you clearly took advantage of leader Lu’s absence and used the excuse of giving me a pillow as an excuse! Tell me truthfully, where did you touch me just now?”

“I touched your head.” Wei Cai Wei was exhausted, she returned to the day bed and laid down, “Since we can’t stay in the same room, then please leave, ask the guard outside where leader Lu is, I’m very tired, I don’t feel like explaining to you.”

“You can’t even touch my head.” Wang Da Xia returned the pillow to Wei Cai Wei, “Why is your complexion worse than before? Has the drug not dissipated?”

Wei Cai Wei said: “I’m fine, I’m only tired, please leave.”

Wang Da Xia left and asked what happened, Wei Cai Wei laid on the day bed, even through the window she could hear Wang Da Xia’s exaggerated shock.

Wei Cai Wei drank the medicine she had prescribed herself then passed out.

At the embroidered uniform guard’s yamen gate.

Manager Chen stopped his mule cart, he placed a stool underneath the cart, saying: “Miss Jiu Bao, we’ve arrived.”

The flower of Machang lane, Li Jiu Bao, got off the cart carrying a black eggshell jar, there was another layer of cotton around the jar, it was unknown what treasure was inside.

They had put on their best clothes.

Manager Chen wore the lake blue gown he wore for business, Li Jiu Bao wore a white silk jacket, crimson skirt, a pair of copper gold-plated lotus flower pins in her hair, because the sun was too fierce, Li Jiu Bao wore a veil.

The two walked to the gate, manager Chen said to the guard at the gate: “I would trouble this guard to help us bring word to doctor Weil, we need to speak to her.”

The guard saw the two of them looked poor, they were probably some poor relative trying to take advantage, he waved his hand at once like chasing away a fly: “This is where the embroidered uniform guards work, if you want to claim relations go directly to her home.”

“This guard, we’re not relatives of doctor Wei, we’re merely neighbours.”

Li Jiu Bao took off her veil, formally greeting the guard, “Doctor Wei is usually very generous and kind, I was startled when I heard doctor Wei came across an evildoer last night, fortunately the northern city army on patrol was able to rush over in time, she survived the calamity. Us commoners have nothing to give, so I only boiled a jar of chicken soup to help her recovery, I had arrived at her home but found her door was locked then I heard doctor Wei had come to the embroidered uniform guard’s yamen so we came here.”

Li Jiu Bao revealed her lotus face, beauty was indeed a weapon, the guard’s manner blatantly became a lot more gentle, asking: “You rushed from the north of the city to the south to give chicken soup to doctor Wei?”

Li Jiu Bao nodded, “That’s right.”

The guard said: “Open it for me to see.”

Li Jiu Bao opened the lid, the guard lowered his head to look, the chicken soup was glossy and there were unknown mushrooms, rarely seen in the capital, it gave off a unique fungus smell, it made people’s mouths water.

This was the Tieling Xiangya mountain mushroom Wei Cai Wei had given to Li Jiu Bao yesterday.

Li Jiu Bao was poor but didn’t want to own someone a favour, having found out Wei Cai Wei had met with danger, she slaughtered the only small rooster in her house and following Wei Cai Wei’s instructions she soaked the mushrooms, stewing them with the chicken— Wei Cai Wei had also mentioned this, this kind of mushroom was very suitable with the chicken.

The guard said: “I’m not making things awkward for you but the yamen is an important place, people can’t just come in, doctor Wei is also someone who is under the protection of Lord Lu and leader Lu, how can we let her see someone so easily? I can help you deliver the chicken soup, but you can’t enter.”

Li Jiu Bao said: “Then thank you, I’m called Li Jiu Bao, he is manager Chen, if you mention our names, doctor Wei will know.”

The guard ordered someone to deliver the jar inside, Li Jiu Bao once again gave her thanks and got onto manager Chen’s mule cart to return home.

A jar of stewed chicken and mushroom arrived at the backyard, Wei Cai Wei had taken her medication and was still asleep, it fell into Wang Da Xia’s hands.

Wang Da Xia listened to the guard explain where it came from, “I know manager Chen, no discord, no concord, but Li Jiu Bao…oh, I remember, the flower of Machang Lane, I’ve heard of her name but haven’t seen her in person.”

The guard recalled the girl’s beauty and politeness, he said: “Her appearance is worthy of being called a flower, she really is impressive.”

Confirming their identities, Wang Da Xia was cautious, he picked out a few pieces of chicken and mushrooms to feed to the pigeons, seeing the pigeons were fine he then placed it on Wei Cai Wei’s table.

Wang Da Xia trusted the ordinary people like manager Chen and Li Jiu Bao because they only sought for enough food and warm clothes.

However the jar would have passed through a few people’s hands to arrive here?

Due to the matter of Zhou Xiaoqi, Wang Da Xia was rather suspicious of everything, he still felt someone wanted to harm Wei Cai Wei.

Because of the medication, it was already evening when Wei Cai Wei woke up, Lu Ying had kept a close eye on his father’s condition, Wang Da Xia finally slept enough and was picking at grass under the shade of a tree, poking at ants.

Wei Cai Wei stood by the window, watching the fourteen years old Wang Da Xia playing with ants, his gaze was very naive and pure, like the dewdrop on a petal in the early morning.

Wei Cai Wei unintentionally felt her heart soften, she wanted to have dinner with Wang Da Xia, the chicken stewed with Xiangya mountain mushrooms was placed in the centre, the smell assailed their noses.

Wei Cai Wei acted normally, “The weather is hot, it can’t be kept overnight, let’s eat together.”

Wang Da Xia drank the soup, “En, this flower of Dongchang is pretty good at cooking, it’s tasty.”

Wei Cai Wei thought: This is something the future empress dowager made, being able to eat it in this lifetime is a shock.

As Wei Cai Wei still needed to take medication she didn’t dare eat meat, she only ate a few mushrooms, Wang Da Xia practically ate everything himself, he needed to eat and sleep to grow up, eating the chicken wasn’t enough, in the end he soaked a bowl of rice in the remaining chicken soup, after the rice was soft, he ate it down with a slurp, the soft rice didn’t need to be chewed.

Wang Da Xia finally stopped moving his chopsticks, he was full, leaning back in comfort, “When you go back, give her a few more bags of mushrooms.” When they’re cooked I’ll go over to eat.

Wei Cai Wei saw through his thoughts of counting chickens before they hatched in one glance, “I gave her a bag of mushrooms and she repaid me with a jar of chicken stew, if I give her more mushrooms, I’m afraid the chicken in her house will become extinct.”

Wang Da Xia smirked but didn’t respond.

Chicken meat was easily caught between the teeth, he went behind the screen to the wash basin, looking into the copper mirror he picked his teeth.

Wei Cai Wei needed him to help her with something, she asked: “From today onwards, you’re officially an embroidered uniform guard.”

“Of course.” Wang Da Xia held a toothpick out of the corner of his mouth, “I didn’t want to, it was leader Lu who insisted on it, I am really kind so I’ll just give it a go, if it doesn’t work out I’ll leave, it’s not like I need this money.”

Wei Cai Wei said: “Since you’re an embroidered uniform guard, there’s something I want you to help me with.”

Wang Da Xia was immediately on alert, “We worked together to deal with Zhou Xiaoqi and are considered to have gone through life and death together, I ought to help you, but don’t think about me devoting my life to you.” Chastity was important to Wang Da Xia.

Wei Cai Wei said: “I’ve told you numerous times, I only have my deceased husband in my heart. There’s an uncle of mine locked up in the embroidered uniform guard’s prison, I want to speak to him.”

Wang Da Xia spat out the toothpick, he picked up the salt to rinse his mouth, gargling he then spat it out, using a towel to wipe his mouth, he said: “Isn’t it just visiting a prisoner, a piece of cake, leave it to me. So long as you don’t have any intentions towards me.”

Wei Cai Wei said: “He’s a prisoner waiting for execution, his name is Ding Ru Kui.”

Wang Da Xia was ignorant and when the calamity happened ten years ago, he was only four years old, he had no memories of it so he didn’t know how important Ding Ru Kui was and how difficult this would be, he said: “I’ll just go to the prison for those waiting for execution, I’ll repay you for this chicken stew.”

Wang Da Xia could worm his way into being with friends with someone, he bought a few watermelons for the jailors as fruit for after dinner and found out tonight Ding Ru Kui would be setting up an alter tonight in the courtyard.