Chapter 18-1: Breaking a Fever
Under the veranda, a small red clay stove sat with a pot
placed upon it, emanating medicinal vapors. Fusong stood nearby, diligently
fanning the pot with a palm leaf fan. He heard a movement, looked up, and
couldn't help but jump up: "Miss Luo is here!" His expression is like
facing an enemy, giving the impression that it was not Luo Sheng who had
arrived, but rather a menacing demon
Hongdou rolled her eyes and scolded: "My Miss is here
to visit young master. Why are you so excited?" Fusong wanted to roll his
eyes in return, but he didn't dare. He secretly thought to himself that he was
frightened, not excited.
Meanwhile, Sheng Laotaitai had already been convinced to
leave, and one by one, Sheng Dataitai and the others departed after taking
turns to care for Luo Chen. Only Sheng Dalang, Erlang, Sanlang, and Silang
remained, having just rushed over from school.
Fusong's voice startled the four of them, and they all
turned their gaze toward the approaching young girl. She was adorned in a
vibrant red floral dress, exuding a captivating presence as if riding the
sunset.
As they looked at her, Sheng Erlang suddenly found her truly
beautiful[1].
But then he felt a chill and shook his head vigorously. "Not right, not
right," he muttered to himself. He reminded himself that Luo Sheng meant
trouble, so how could he have thought she was beautiful? He must be possessed!
Sheng Erlang quickly corrected his thoughts and watched Luo Sheng step forward
with cold eyes.
Luo Sheng approached and greeted them with a slight bow,
saying, "I'll go in and see my brother." Without giving the four
brothers a chance to converse with her, she swiftly made her way to the room.
Holding his folding fan, Sheng Erlang opened his mouth to speak but couldn't
find the right words. Why did he suddenly feel so inexplicably embarrassed?
Seeing Luo Sheng entering the room, Fusong remembered Sheng
Dataitai's order from yesterday. He disregarded the stove and the boiling
medicine and hurried inside. Meanwhile, as Luo Chen's condition worsened, a
maid who had been left there by Sheng Dataitai quietly left to report the
situation to Sheng Dataitai.
Fusong's alarmed voice could be heard from inside the room,
"Miss, what are you doing?!" His shout was filled with panic, causing
Sheng Dalang and the other three brothers to exchange glances and rush inside.
In the room, Fusong stared at Luo Sheng with hostility.
"Young master is still sick. He can't eat strange things!" he
exclaimed. Luo Sheng calmly responded, "This medicine can help reduce his
fever." Luo Sheng didn't want to waste her time arguing with a servant, so
she ordered Hongdou lightly: "Hongdou, take him away."
"Yes," Hongdou replied and strode toward Fusong
with a determined expression. Fusong stood his ground in front of Luo Chen's
bed, assuming a defiant posture as if he would rather die than be humiliated.
However, his nerves got the better of him, and he stammered, "I, I would
rather die than let you—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Hongdou swiftly lifted
him onto her shoulder and tossed him outside. The sight left Sheng Dalang and
the others momentarily bewildered. Fusong, still unsure of his whereabouts,
managed to gather his thoughts and continued to seek help for his master,
"Dagongzi, Miss Luo brought my master an unknown medicine, and she
insisted on feeding it to him."
The four Sheng brothers hurriedly entered the room and witnessed
Luo Sheng slipping a pea-sized pill into Luo Chen's mouth. "Luo
biaomei!" Sheng Dalang exclaimed in desperation.
Sheng Sanlang rushed forward to stop her, only to hear Luo
Sheng calmly say, "He has already taken it."
Sheng Sanlang: "..."
Sheng Erlang's face grew somber as he questioned, "How
could you administer medicine to Biaodi without the doctor's discretion?"
Luo Sheng gave Luo Chen a few sips of water, then gently wiped the corners of
his mouth with a handkerchief. She turned to face the four and explained,
"This is a fever-reducing medicine."
A sharp voice came: "Nonsense!" Sheng Jiayu
stormed into the room. The words "Luo Sheng" surged to the tip of her
tongue, but she forcefully swallowed them. She said with a sneer,"
"Grandmother has invited all the renowned doctors in Jinsha County. Yet,
Biaodi's fever still hasn't subsided. How could you recklessly administer
unknown medicine to him at such a critical time?"
Luo Sheng calmly glanced at Sheng Dataitai, who had entered
the room, before responding, "It is precisely because the doctors were
helpless that I took the initiative to give my brother this medicine."
"But
you're not a doctor!" Sheng Jiayu exclaimed angrily. She again couldn't
fathom accepting troublemakers like Luo Sheng, who seemed to only worsen the
situation, as her biaojie.
[1]
Sheng Erlang here used a line of poetry from Tang Dynasty
眉黛奪將萱草色，紅裙妒殺石榴花 (méi dài duó jiāng xuāncǎo sè, hóng qún dù shā shíliú huā)
As I am not very familiar with poetry, here's an explanation
from ChatGPT. If there's anything incorrect in the explanation, please feel
free to leave a comment.
"The color of the eyebrows competes with the hue of the
mallow; the red skirt envies the beauty of the pomegranate flower." In
this line, the poet uses vivid imagery to describe the beauty and allure of a
woman.
1. "眉黛奪將萱草色" (The color of the
eyebrows competes with the hue of the mallow):
This line refers to the captivating beauty of the woman's
eyebrows. The phrase "眉黛" (méi dài) literally
means "eyebrow ink," which refers to the traditional practice of
using dark-colored cosmetics to enhance the appearance of the eyebrows. The
poet suggests that the color of her eyebrows is so enchanting that it rivals
the vibrant and attractive color of the mallow flowers.
2. "紅裙妒殺石榴花" (The red skirt
envies the beauty of the pomegranate flower):
Here, the poet describes the woman's red skirt, which is so
exquisite and captivating that it evokes jealousy from the beautiful
pomegranate flowers. The color red has long been associated with love, passion,
and beauty in Chinese culture, and it symbolizes the woman's alluring charm.
Overall, this line from
the Tang Dynasty poem highlights the exceptional beauty and allure of a woman,
drawing comparisons between her features and the vibrant colors found in
nature.
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