Chapter 81: Cheng Zhao's Good Fortune

Cheng Zhao informed Chengming Hall and Shou'an Courtyard about Zhou Yuanqi's illness.

She sent someone to invite her mother, asking her to bring a doctor over.

The Old Madam personally came to Jiangyun Courtyard and asked the Second Madam, "How did he get so sick? You must take good care of him."

The Second Madam felt a lump in her chest.

Cheng Zhao held the Second Madam's hand and answered for her, "Grandmother, you and Mother are both anxious. Illness comes like a landslide and goes like pulling silk. Let's not panic and take it slowly."

The Old Madam sighed.

"Yuanqi is a child whose intelligence borders on the supernatural. I hope he can survive this ordeal," the Old Madam said.

The First Madam, Madam Song, and Huan Qingtang also came.

"He must get well soon. When Yuancheng was dying, he also had frequent fevers." Madam Song had tears in her eyes.

She wasn't distressed for Zhou Yuanqi, but pitying her deceased son.

The Second Madam's anger surged.

Cheng Zhao handled them one by one, asking them to sit idly in the east secondary room.

Cheng Zhao's mother arrived quickly.

She brought a doctor in his fifties. After taking the pulse, the doctor prescribed cinnabar and talisman paper, asking people to prepare them as he wanted to draw a talisman for Zhou Yuanqi.

Madam Cheng came to the east secondary room again and met the Old Madam and the others.

Hearing that it was Zhuyou, Madam Song said, "I hope it works. These days, there are many doctors who are good at Zhuyou, but few who truly have medical skills."

Many doctors claimed to know Zhuyou, but it wasn't very effective.

The Second Madam felt that her in-laws had taken trouble, yet Madam Song was still picking faults, which annoyed her to the extreme.

Madam Cheng had a very good temper, seemingly unable to hear the disgust in Madam Song's words: "Good doctors are hard to find. We have also suffered enough. Some doctors just cheat people out of their money."

"Isn't that so," Madam Song said.

She was naturally led by Madam Cheng to talk about quack doctors.

The doctor quickly drew two talismans and took his leave.

Madam Cheng also wanted to leave.

She gave a small box to the Second Madam: "The Prime Minister heard that Yuanqi has a fever and specially asked me to bring the 'Ziyang Pill'. You keep it first. If the fever doesn't break tonight, give it to the child."

The Old Madam looked over.

This glance was meaningful, but she said nothing.

Huan Qingtang felt slightly surprised.

The Ziyang Pill was used to save lives. The materials were exquisite and the price was high. Many medical families could only make twenty pills in ten years.

Its alias was also "Huanyang Pill".

It was said to be a rejuvenating medicine for the elderly when they were seriously ill, which could save their lives for a few years; some doctors also said that the Ziyang Pill was actually a fever reducer.

It did have the effect of reducing fever, but very few people used it solely for that purpose. It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, too wasteful.

Huan Qingtang looked at the Old Madam again.

The Old Madam definitely had two Ziyang Pills too. At her age, it was impossible for her not to prepare this kind of medicine.

But whether it was the eldest legitimate grandson Zhou Yuancheng who was ill a few years ago or Zhou Yuanqi who had a fever today, the Old Madam didn't take out this medicine.

Prime Minister Cheng, however, asked Madam Cheng to bring it over.

For a moment, Huan Qingtang felt not touched, but intense jealousy: a wealthy and generous family, too sincere, had won over people's hearts too steadily.

Wouldn't the Second Madam be grateful to death to the Cheng family?

Even if Cheng Zhao made a big mistake in front of her mother-in-law in the future, the Second Madam would think of today's Ziyang Pill and wouldn't argue with her.

The Cheng family spared no effort to support the child and pave the way for Cheng Zhao.

Cheng Zhao was really lucky.

"...I can't take this!" The Second Madam was overwhelmed by the favor and hurriedly declined.

She was too shocked.

Cheng Zhao pressed her hand: "Mother, accept it first. We might not need it. When Fifth Brother is better, we can return it."

The Second Madam had tears in her eyes: "Thank the Prime Minister for thinking of Yuanqi."

"The Prime Minister really likes Yuanqi and says this child will become a great scholar in the future," Madam Cheng smiled.

The Second Madam took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Madam Song, the First Madam, asked in a very low voice, "What is the Ziyang Pill?"

Huan Qingtang glanced at her, her heart pausing slightly.

Had the Changling Marquis's Mansion never even heard of the Ziyang Pill?

This kind of famous medicine was passed down within families, and pharmacies indeed wouldn't sell it over the counter. It was reasonable for some small families outside not to know, but Madam Song of the Changling Marquis's Mansion actually...

"A precious fever-reducing medicine," Huan Qingtang said.

Madam Song curled her lips.

Madam Cheng left. The Old Madam gave a few instructions, telling the Second Madam to take good care of Zhou Yuanqi, and led the others back.

On the way back, Madam Song also said, "Jiangyun Courtyard is really far. It's exhausting to run over."

Huan Qingtang didn't speak.

She felt the same.

Jiangyun Courtyard was a distance from Chengming Hall. Going from here to Shou'an Courtyard every day was like a court official living in the south of the city going to court; they would be looked down upon by their colleagues.

"I absolutely cannot move out," Huan Qingtang thought.

The Cuiyun Courtyard she lived in was the courtyard for the eldest legitimate son's wedding, linked to Chengming Hall.

Once the first branch left Chengming Hall, she would have to leave too.

Living in places like Jiangyun Courtyard and Nonghua Courtyard, even if the courtyards looked fine, because they were far from the Old Madam, the servants would look down on them.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went back with their own thoughts.

In Jiangyun Courtyard, Nanny Fan personally boiled the talisman water and brought it to Zhou Yuanqi.

Zhou Yuanqi refused to drink it.

He helplessly said to his mother and sister-in-law, "You don't read books normally! What talisman paper? It's just drawn with cinnabar. What's useful is the cinnabar. Cinnabar does reduce fever, but it will also damage my brain."

He didn't want to become a boor or a reckless youth; he was smart.

Cheng Zhao said, "If you burn for another night, you'll burn stupid anyway."

She also said, "There is also cinnabar in the Ziyang Pill. A small amount is not poisonous. Be obedient. Also, if you belittle Zhuyou, me, and Mother again, I'll have to beat you."

The depressed Second Madam beside them laughed out loud.

Zhaozhao from a scholarly family was becoming more and more like her.

She used to think that scholarly families were hypocritical and full of tricks, but the Cheng family treated people sincerely.

Under Cheng Zhao's suppression, Zhou Yuanqi reluctantly drank the talisman water.

After finishing it, he said to Cheng Zhao, "If I become a fool in the future, you have to listen to me."

"If you're stupid, how will you remember my promise?"

Zhou Yuanqi: "..."

The two bickered for a while.

The Second Master went to the government office to check in and quickly returned. Cheng Zhao then withdrew from the inner bedroom; mid-morning, Zhou Yuanshen also returned home.

Zhou Yuanqi was fine during the day.

After drinking the talisman water, his low fever seemed to have lessened a bit, but he didn't sweat.

"...Youngest Uncle also asked about Yuanqi's illness," Zhou Yuanshen said.

The Second Madam said, "We must hide it. Your grandmother is old. If she hears about it, she will definitely blame herself."

"I told Youngest Uncle that he was fine, just busy these days, and I'll invite him as a guest later," Zhou Yuanshen said.

The Second Madam nodded.

Cheng Zhao stayed in Jiangyun Courtyard all day.

After dinner, the Second Madam asked the Second Master to go to the warm pavilion to sleep with Zhou Yuanqi.

Zhou Yuanqi refused.

The Second Master told him to be obedient.

Zhou Yuanshen beside them said, "Didn't you say you need a strong person to suppress it?"

"I'm not good enough?" the Second Master said.

"You have white hair."

The Second Master: "..."

Zhou Yuanshen then said, "I'll do it."

Cheng Zhao glanced at him in surprise.

Zhou Yuanqi's eyes widened: "No! Absurd!"

He rarely had such a horrified expression, successfully amusing the Second Madam and Cheng Zhao.

"I don't want to, I don't want to sleep with a boor!" Zhou Yuanqi protested strongly.

However, no one cared.