Chapter 152: Signs
As soon as Su Yaoguang fell ill, she immediately became the focus of everyone’s care, not even allowed out of her room, required to rest fully for five days before going out.
During the days she rested, everyone took turns caring for her.
This time it was Zhou Wangshu’s turn. He awkwardly indicated that he could stay to care for the patient, letting others care for Su Yaoguang.
However, the Zhang family sisters were thinking of giving the two young people more time together, wishing they could give up their own slots to him. How could they possibly let him stay so far away?
Zhou Wangshu had been a bit awkward since feeding her medicine that day. Although Su Yaoguang was quite silly and didn’t notice his strange behavior, he couldn’t get past his own hurdle.
Su Yaoguang kept saying she treated him like a younger brother, and he also treated her like family as she said, but that untimely behavior nearly ruined their “harmonious” brother and sister relationship. Even recalling it at midnight, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed and wanted to slap himself a few times.
“What do you have there?” Zhou Wangshu saw an aunt coming over holding a large basket, with some fabric in the basket.
That aunt was in charge of laundry. Hearing Zhou Wangshu ask, she said, “Young Master Zhou, these are Boss Su’s personal clothing. I’ve already washed and dried them, now delivering them to Boss Su.”
Zhou Wangshu heard it was Su Yaoguang’s clothing and originally wanted to check, but shrank back before touching the clothing.
“Then you deliver…” Zhou Wangshu sniffed in the air, his gaze stopping on the basket, and called to the aunt. “Wait a moment…”
The aunt looked at Zhou Wangshu in confusion as he picked up the clothing and sniffed it close to his nose.
What was good to sniff about these freshly washed clothes? Could it be that he disliked her not washing them clean?
The aunt was somewhat unhappy.
Zhou Wangshu smelled a strange odor and asked the aunt, “These clothes have been washed, why do they still stink?”
The aunt grabbed a piece of clothing and sniffed it, faintly detecting a little smell. After all, everywhere here was full of patients, even the air carrying the scent of medicine. But it wasn’t as exaggerated as he said.
“Young Master Zhou, we go in and out among the patients, how can there not be some smell? If you hadn’t said, I wouldn’t have noticed this smell. Are you too nervous?”
“You’re right.” Zhou Wangshu took the large basket. “You can hand the things to me. I’m just about to go in and can bring them in conveniently.”
“Alright then.” The aunt handed the bamboo basket to Zhou Wangshu.
After the aunt left, Zhou Wangshu first spoke through the door to Su Yaoguang that he had something to go out for a bit and would be back soon, telling her to stay obediently in the room and not get him scolded. Su Yaoguang listened inside and responded grumpily, continuing to flip through the medical book in her hand.
Anyway, she couldn’t go out, so she might as well use this time to learn something, which she could use later for developing new face cream products.
Zhou Wangshu carried the basket to find Jiang Jing.
“Come take a look and see if there’s any problem with these clothes.”
Jiang Jing found it strange and recognized that these clothes all belonged to Su Yaoguang. She followed him to the pharmacy, then carefully checked the clothing and, like him, sniffed it close to her nose.
“Where did you get these from? This stench comes from patients’ bodies. It must have been mixed with patients’ clothes. If worn close to the body, the chance of catching the epidemic is extremely high. Not to mention Yaoguang is still ill now and more susceptible to the epidemic than ordinary people.”
“Aunt Wang in charge of laundry brought them. But Aunt Wang’s life was saved by Yaoguang, and she has always respected Yaoguang and wouldn’t harm her. I’m afraid someone else is behind this matter.”
“No matter who, these clothes can’t be worn. Fortunately you discovered it in time. If Yaoguang had worn them, she would have suffered. Look at these new patients with rotting bodies all over, even many pus-filled blisters on their faces. Even if cured, I’m afraid scars would remain.”
“Don’t know who it is, then wait for them to show themselves.” Zhou Wangshu said, “I’ll take these clothes back first.”
“Wash your hands first.” Jiang Jing brought a basin of medicinal soup boiled with medicinal herbs.
Zhang Zhaodi and the others bathed daily with such medicinal soup, and even their clothes were first soaked overnight in this kind of medicinal soup before being washed clean the next day. Therefore, it was normal for their clothes to retain the fragrance of medicinal herbs. If mixed with other smells, that would be abnormal.
Su Yaoguang saw Zhou Wangshu return carrying the bamboo basket and reached out to take it, but he dodged away.
“What are you doing?”
“These clothes have a problem, don’t touch them.” Zhou Wangshu placed the bamboo basket by the window.
Su Yaoguang saw her own personal undergarments, her little face reddening slightly, and said awkwardly, “These are all my clothes, how could there be a problem?”
“Big problem.” Zhou Wangshu said, “I just showed them to Jiang Jing. She said these clothes had been mixed with patients’ clothes. Someone wanted you to taste the epidemic too.”
“Who did it?”
“Don’t know. But whoever could do this definitely wants to see you suffer. As long as you act it out, that person will surface.”
“Fine. I want to see who this sneaky little person is.”
Jiang Yihuan trotted into the bamboo house. When she entered the door, she happened to see Wen Shi feeding Xiao Yanci porridge. Her face changed drastically, and she stormed forward angrily.
Just as she was about to knock over the bowl, Xiao Yanci looked over in confusion. Upon seeing her, the smile on his face disappeared.
At that moment, Jiang Yihuan calmed down.
Xiao Yanci liked innocent and pure young girls, but the Wen Shi medicine incident had tainted her image. Plus, he had seen her disheveled state after falling into the manure pit, leaving none of the three words—innocent, simple, pure—so the light in his eyes when looking at her was less, and not as affectionate as before.
Falling into the manure pit was bad luck, but the Wen Shi medicine was a huge injustice. She hadn’t done it at all, so why did everyone think she did? The medicine was even found on her—such obvious framing and no one saw it? Were these people’s brains all pig brains? And Xiao Yanci, why believe that broken shoe Wen Shi over her? Was his feeling for her so fragile?
“Xiao Gege, I found a few books over at the Buddhist hall, not sure if you like them. I thought they could help pass the time for you.”
Upon seeing the few books Jiang Yihuan brought, Xiao Yanci’s gaze softened somewhat.
“There are all critically ill patients over there, why did you still go there?”
“I saw you’ve been unhappy lately and thought you must be too bored staying here. You don’t know when you can go down the mountain yet. If it keeps like this, how uncomfortable would that be? I don’t mind. As long as you’re happy, I’m willing to do anything.” Jiang Yihuan said shyly.
“Younger sister Huan’er is so good. Young Master Xiao having such a fiancée is true good fortune.” Wen Shi said, “Your happy event is soon, right? This servant’s embroidery is decent, so at that time I can contribute a little and help embroider your wedding clothes or something.”
As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and she gave Xiao Yanci a resentful glance.
