CHAPTER 1336: CHAPTER 1314 DELICIOUS

Sanya was sent to find her aunt. When she was led into the house by the Bai family’s servant, she happened to witness the three of them yawning in unison.

Manbao had just finished yawning, and the corners of her eyes were still moist with tears. When she lifted her head and saw Sanya, she asked, "Sanya, why are you here?"

Sanya ran forward and replied, "Grandmother asked me to come and call you back for breakfast."

Calling her back for breakfast was an excuse; checking on the situation was the real reason.

Manbao had never lacked food in the village, especially while staying with the Bai family. There were times when she ate all three meals at the Bai household.

Manbao glanced at Bai Dalang’s complexion and thought it seemed fine. He probably wouldn’t need to rush to the outhouse anytime soon. She then stood up and said, "Alright, I was planning to head back to freshen up anyway."

Besides, she had used all the needles, and they needed to be boiled.

Bai Shan also took a look at Bai Dalang and then stood up to leave. "I’ll head back too. I’ll stop by again later to check on Big Cousin."

Bai Erlang yawned as he got up, smacked his lips, and after a while said, "Daybreak already. I’m going back to sleep. Big Brother, if anything happens, just call Father and Mother."

And just like that, the three of them dispersed.

Bai Dalang: ...

As Manbao carried the medicine kit out, she bumped into Old Master Bai and Mrs. Bai on their way over. She casually reminded them, "He should only eat plain congee; nothing else. He can’t be exposed to cold, and don’t place too many fire basins near the bed—just one will do. His exterior is cold while the interior is hot, the balance of yin and yang is disrupted, and the toxin is in his intestinal blood. It will take some time to recover."

She added, "I’ll go back home to sleep first. If you need me, come get me."

Old Master Bai quickly said, "I’ll have the servants escort you home."

Manbao: "...That’s really not necessary. It’s just across the river."

It wasn’t the dead of night, after all. It was bright daytime—why would she need someone to accompany her just to walk?

Yawning as she walked, Manbao left.

Bai Shan and Bai Erlang also returned to their respective rooms. Inside Bai Dalang’s room was a mess—the bedding on the wooden couch, the stand over the fire basin, even the medicinal stove were scattered everywhere.

The servants quickly tidied up. A servant attending Bai Dalang stood aside with a bowed head to report on the events of last night.

He described in detail how many times Bai Dalang got up at night, how many times he took medicine, and how many times Miss Man applied needles.

In truth, he had been waiting in the side chamber for orders the entire night. Yet the three young masters only remembered to summon him when they wanted steamed buns and water; otherwise, they forgot he was even there. He could only remain in the side chamber, straining his ears to catch the sounds of activity.

Old Master Bai nodded, then turned to Mrs. Bai and said, "Have the kitchen prepare some better dishes for lunch. Manbao will certainly come back around that time."

Mrs. Bai agreed, then asked, "Should I have the kitchen prepare more of their favorite snacks?"

Old Master Bai waved his hand dismissively. "You handle it as you see fit."

He then entered the inner chamber to check on Bai Dalang.

Manbao carried her medicine kit all the way back home. On her way, she ran into several neighbors out for their morning stroll and greeted them one by one. By the time she returned home, nearly half the village had learned that the Bai family’s Young Master Bai had upset his stomach, causing havoc throughout the night.

When Manbao arrived home, Ms. Qian noticed her exhausted expression and swallowed the many questions she had prepared to ask, instead posing just one: "How is the Young Master Bai?"

Manbao put down her medicine kit, handed the needles to her sister-in-law to boil and clean, let out a yawn, and said, "It’s dysentery. Quite serious, but for now, it seems manageable; it should be treatable."

Ms. Qian let out a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens for His blessings."

Dysentery was a severe illness and could be fatal.

Junior Ms. Qian asked, "Would you like to eat something?"

Manbao shook her head. "I just roasted a big steamed bun at midnight, so I’m not hungry at all now. Sister-in-law, I want to sleep first."

"Then you should go rest quickly. I’ll have Sanya bring you a basin of hot water so you can freshen up before sleeping—it’ll be much more comfortable."

Manbao agreed, acknowledging that washing her face and combing her hair before resting would indeed make her feel better.

Sanya brought over the basin of water and stood aside, watching her. "Aunt, what is dysentery?"

While washing up, Manbao explained, "It’s a kind of illness. It causes sharp abdominal pain, an urgent need to relieve oneself but with difficulty, a rapid and slippery pulse, a tongue coated in thick yellow plaque, and bloody discharge..."

She wrung out the towel and hung it on the rack, then turned to Sanya. "When it’s mild, it’s not too bad—it can take some time to treat but usually heals. But in severe cases, it can kill someone in just two or three days."

Sanya gasped, "That serious?"

Manbao nodded, lay down on the bed, and waved her hand at Sanya. "Close the door when you leave."

Sanya’s attention, however, shifted to Manbao’s bookshelf. The books were ones Manbao had brought back from the capital this time. In a small voice, Sanya asked, "Aunt, can I borrow one of your books to read?"

Yawning, Manbao burrowed half her head under the covers and mumbled, "Take whichever one you’d like."

Sanya began rummaging through the bookshelf.

Manbao slept until late morning. When she awoke, she looked refreshed. Junior Ms. Qian smiled when she saw her, then washed her hands and asked, "I made minced pork with dried bamboo shoots this morning. How about I make noodles with it for you?"

Manbao immediately nodded enthusiastically, then squatted in the kitchen to stoke the fire for cooking.

The minced pork was freshly prepared, still warm, and its fragrance wafted from the basin. Seeing Manbao salivate, Junior Ms. Qian picked up a piece of lamb meat and popped it into her mouth, laughing as she asked, "Does it taste good?"

Manbao gave a thumbs-up, her eyes sparkling. "Delicious! Sister-in-law’s cooking is the best."

Junior Ms. Qian broke into a smile. "Then eat more—this minced pork was made especially for you."

She placed the cleaned greens into boiling water, then cooked the noodles before taking them out and placing them into a large bowl. She scooped out two hearty spoonfuls of minced pork and mixed them into the noodles, ready for Manbao to dig in.

Manbao didn’t bother leaving the kitchen. She pulled over a chair, set the bowl on it, and began eating right there by the stove.

Junior Ms. Qian removed the burnt charcoal from the stove to warm her up and casually pulled over a basket of beans to shell them. "This morning, your elder brother went to Dali Village to buy a big chunk of lamb meat from your fourth sister-in-law’s family. Apart from what I chopped up for minced pork, I stewed the rest with spices. Tonight, I’ll take out some, dice it, and stir-fry it with the beans—it’s delicious too."

Manbao nodded vigorously as she ate.

While food in the capital was undeniably good, no matter how many delicacies were found outside, it couldn’t compare with the dishes her sister-in-law made.

Junior Ms. Qian saw how much she was enjoying her meal and couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Manbao purposely picked out the bamboo shoots from the minced pork and said, "The bamboo shoots are tasty, Sister-in-law. Next year, let’s gather more tender shoots and dry them for storage."

Junior Ms. Qian smiled and agreed. "Aside from drying, we can also store them in jars. I’ve tried it before. Stir-fried bamboo shoots stored in jars aren’t as good as fresh ones, but for minced pork they’re even tastier and much crunchier than the dried variety. I just don’t know how long they’ll keep. The ones stored in April and May, I was worried they’d spoil, so I used them all recently. Otherwise, I could’ve saved you some."