Chongfei Manual pt. 1

16

That night, Wei Zheng got a fever and dazedly called out for her mother. Nurse Jin, who was looking after Wei Zheng, was flustered as she raised the alarm at Wei Kun’s door, saying that she didn’t know how serious it was. Wei Kun draped on a cloak with a dark green bamboo nodes pattern, and sent someone to invite a doctor that very night. After the doctor’s examination, he said it was a simple cold, and to cover her with several quilts to warm her up, then he wrote a prescription. Drinking a bowl of medicine, Wei Zheng would be fine on the next day.

After seeing the doctor off, Wei Kun instructed the two maidservants by Wei Zheng’s side, Yin Feng and Yin Lou to go and prepare the medicine according to the prescription. He waited for them to bring in the ready medicine, then personally fed it to Wei Zheng before leaving.

The next morning, just as the doctor had said, Wei Zheng’s fever retreated. She was also more clear-headed.

Today was the first day for the tutor to give lessons. Originally, she had to go listen to Mr. Xue’s lecture, but she actually wrapped herself in the quilt and didn’t move a muscle. Yin Lou stood by her bed and called out a few times, but didn’t get an answer all along. Yin Lou assumed she wasn’t feeling well and that she hadn’t recovered from the illness yet, so she ran to Wei Kun to ask for a day off on behalf of Wei Zheng. When he heard that, Wei Kun allowed her to attend the lectures starting tomorrow.

By the time Yin Lou returned, she was still lying motionlessly in bed.

Yin Lou thought she was sleeping, and didn’t expect that as she moved closer, she would find her secretly wiping her tears under the quilt. She had cried so broken-heartedly, a big spot of the bedding under her body had been soaked through. Alarmed, Yin Lou stepped forward to call out gently: “Fifth Miss, you…”

Wei Zheng winced, grabbed the covers and pulled them over her head, wrapping herself even more tightly within, so that no one could see her.

Yin Lou worriedly fussed about at the bedside, wondering what was wrong with her. She rushed to call Nurse Jin and Yin Feng over, to consult them how to deal with the situation. Wei Zheng also didn’t know, but her heart was in great pain and it was difficult to endure that stifling feeling. The little child didn’t know how she should vent her mood, she only had this way of crying.

Wei Zheng had gone to Ginkgo courtyard yesterday, telling Madam Du about her grievances and causing Madam Du to curse at Wei Luo, ‘that little wretch’. Earlier, she had been standing by the pond’s edge, and if Wei Luo hadn’t pushed her, she couldn’t have possibly fallen in. Madam Du wanted to find Wei Kun to demand for an explanation and to scold Wei Luo while at it, yet she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Wei Kun’s face… At that time she (Wei Zheng) was beside her, helplessly looking on as her mother was embarrassed. That mother who had always been up above, had suddenly fallen down in the mud, continuously asking the servants to let her see father… She watched, feeling a little sad, as she didn’t want to let her mother be so submissive for her sake. She ran over to hold onto Madam Du’s leg, saying: “Don’t look for dad, mother, I don’t want to see dad… It doesn’t hurt anymore…”

What happened after?

Afterwards, Madam Du hugged her and cried for quite a long time. She could sense her mother’s despair and helplessness. Madam Du’s tears flowed down her cheeks and dripped down to her neck, so scalding it was scary. She was still young, and couldn’t really understand her mother’s feelings, but since her mother was crying, she also cried.

Why were they in this state now?

Madam Du spoke close to her ear: “It was Wei Luo, it was Wei Luo and her mother, who harmed us.”