Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Visiting the Sick

Madam Xue had been ill for three days.

“She fell ill the night she returned from our house.” Madam of Dongyang gritted her teeth in the carriage. “That damned old shrew kept it hidden. If I hadn’t sent Mama Huang to deliver something to my sister today, I wouldn’t have found out.”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

“The Xue family even lied, saying my sister had gone to the temple to offer incense and hadn’t returned. If Mama Huang hadn’t noticed the strange atmosphere in the house and barged in, the Xue family wouldn’t have told the truth.”

Mama Xu and Mama Huang sat beside her, weeping along.

Why was her sister-in-law’s life so unfortunate?

The carriage sped through the bustling evening streets and arrived at the gate of the Xue Residence. The Xue family was prepared. Madam Xue’s two sons and a large group of servants were waiting outside.

Seeing Madam of Dongyang’s carriage, the two young masters rushed forward, crying, “Aunt!” They tearfully explained, “We didn’t want to worry you, but we didn’t expect to alarm you—”

Before they could finish, Madam of Dongyang spat in their faces. “You two unfilial sons, good-for-nothings! Your mother raised you in vain.”

The two young masters knelt down and wept. The front of the residence became chaotic, attracting many onlookers from the street, who pointed and gossiped.

Zhou Jingyun stood beside Madam of Dongyang, supporting her. Mama Huang and Mama Xu also stood by her side. The Xue family servants didn’t dare to pull them away, so they could only apologize and persuade them. “Please come inside and talk.” “Our madam is still taking medicine. It’s not good to make a fuss.”

Ultimately concerned about her sister, Madam of Dongyang didn’t linger at the gate. After scolding them a few times, she entered with a sullen face.

Zhou Jingyun helped his mother, looking back at Zhuang Li, worried she couldn’t walk fast because she had just recovered from her illness.

Zhuang Li stayed behind, accompanied by her three maids, walking slowly. Seeing him looking over, she gave him a reassuring look.

Old Madam Xue was already waiting in Madam Xue’s courtyard. Seeing Madam of Dongyang enter, she sneered with a cold face. “Madam of Dongyang is truly imposing. Are you here to find fault?”

Seeing Old Madam Xue’s attitude, Madam of Dongyang’s face turned even paler with anger. “If I don’t come now, should I wait at home for someone to deliver the news of her death?”

“Madam, please sit down and talk,” Master Xue persuaded from the side.

Madam of Dongyang couldn’t scold her elder, so she turned to scold him. “Talk? My sister has been married to you for decades, when have you ever spoken up for her! Now she’s like this, and you still don’t say a word. What are you thinking?”

Being reprimanded by his sister-in-law, Master Xue felt embarrassed. He wanted to retort with a sullen face, but he saw Zhou Jingyun standing nearby.

Although Zhou Jingyun didn’t have the same anger as Madam of Dongyang, he wasn’t smiling either. His handsome face was like an ice sculpture.

Thinking that this nephew had returned to the capital, promoted from an Educational Inspector to an Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, holding real power, and frequently entering the palace to meet the Emperor…

Master Xue swallowed his retort and only said in a bitter voice, “Madam, you’ve misunderstood.”

Old Madam Xue couldn’t stand her son being scolded. She slammed the table. “What are you talking about? She’s sick, we’re seeking medical treatment for her. What? According to Madam of Dongyang, if someone in our Xue family has a headache or fever, we should immediately inform you and let the whole capital know?”

She stood up and pointed at the people in the room and courtyard.

“She’s sick, we’ve invited the Imperial Physician and famous doctors from the capital. Her sons, daughters-in-law, and daughters are all here attending to her. My son is staying by her side day and night, not even taking off his clothes. And there’s me, I even gave her the century-old ginseng I was saving for myself. Now you barge in angrily, acting as if we’ve mistreated our daughter-in-law. Good, good, good!”

Old Madam Xue walked out as she spoke.

“I’m going to the palace to ask the Emperor to judge whether it’s our Xue family mistreating our daughter-in-law or your Dongyang Marquis Residence bullying us!”

Master Xue and Second Madam Xue hurriedly stopped her. On the other side, Madam Xue’s two sons knelt down to Madam of Dongyang, their eldest daughter-in-law and two concubine-born daughters also wept.

“Aunt, please calm down. Mother’s illness came suddenly, but we didn’t delay seeking medical treatment.”

“We didn’t tell you because we were afraid of alarming you.”

The courtyard was chaotic. Madam of Dongyang looked at Old Madam Xue, who was clamoring to see the Emperor, and then at her weeping children. She was both angry and heartbroken.

“Mother, let’s go see Aunt first,” Zhou Jingyun said.

Madam of Dongyang shook off the crying and rushed towards the room where Madam Xue was.

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Madam Xue’s room wasn’t chaotic. As Old Madam Xue had said, there were two doctors attending to her: Imperial Physician Wu from the Imperial Medical Academy and Zhang Shilin. Seeing Madam of Dongyang and her entourage, he bowed and greeted them.

“Look,” Second Madam Xue followed behind, pointing at the boxes in the room, and said softly, “These ginseng and deer antlers were all sent by Mother. She said to use any medicine, no matter how expensive, and Mother would never mistreat her daughter-in-law.”

Madam of Dongyang turned to look at her and sneered, “You’re Old Madam Xue’s niece, of course, she wouldn’t mistreat you.”

Second Madam Xue’s face stiffened, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Madam, what are you saying? In front of Mother, we are all daughters-in-law.”

Madam of Dongyang said angrily, “I’m not your mother-in-law, you don’t have to cry in front of me.”

Seeing that a quarrel was about to break out in the room, Zhou Jingyun stepped forward and said, “May I ask what is Aunt’s condition?”

Master Xue, who was having a headache, hurriedly said, “She fell ill the day after returning from your house.”

Madam of Dongyang immediately glared at him. “What? Are you saying my sister’s illness has something to do with visiting my house? You should know that my sister was only sitting at my house for a while before your mother called her away.”

Master Xue hurriedly waved his hands. “That’s not what I meant. After she returned from your house, we had guests, and she also went to entertain them. She even had a cup of wine at the banquet. She was fine until she went to rest. Mother even considered her and told her she didn’t have to come to pay her respects the next day and could sleep in.”

He looked to the side and called Madam Xue’s servant, Mama Jiang.

“Who was on duty that night?”

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Mama Jiang tearfully said the maid’s name. The maid immediately knelt down.

“Madam slept soundly all night and woke up late. I thought she was tired, and Old Madam had excused her from paying her respects, so I didn’t wake her up. Later, the Eldest Young Madam came to pay her respects with her child and Seventh Miss, and I came to call Madam, but I found that no matter how I called her, she wouldn’t wake up—”

The maid said, prostrating herself and crying.

“I deserve to die, I deserve to die.”

Madam of Dongyang felt a chill in her heart. She looked at Master Xue and asked, “Did you sleep with a concubine again? Did you take in a new one?”

A sister-in-law asking her brother-in-law about his bedroom matters was truly improper. Master Xue blushed. At this time, he didn’t dare to scold Madam of Dongyang for her lack of manners. He only stammered, “What are you talking about, it’s according to the rules….”

Zhou Jingyun coughed lightly and asked Imperial Physician Wu and Zhang Shilin, “What’s going on?”

“Madam Xue has been unconscious and unresponsive to the outside world. It should be an internal injury, a stroke caused by Qi and blood disorder.”

Both of them gave the same explanation.

Stroke! Madam of Dongyang’s heart sank, and she almost lost her balance. Zhou Jingyun hurriedly supported her. The Xue family’s young masters hurriedly brought chairs, but Madam of Dongyang refused to sit. She only pointed to the inner room.

Zhou Jingyun understood his mother’s intention and helped her inside.

Madam Xue lay quietly on the bed. If it weren’t for her pale face, rapid breathing, and the smell of medicine filling the room, it would seem as if she was just asleep.

Madam of Dongyang leaned over the bed and burst into tears.

She knew she couldn’t find fault with the Xue family on the surface. Old Madam Xue wouldn’t mistreat her daughter-in-law when it came to medical treatment. But what about daily life? What about everything else besides food, clothing, and shelter?

Old Madam Xue was torturing her daughter-in-law with her words and actions.

Although her sister never said anything, never complained, she knew it all.

Old Madam Xue favored her youngest son and refused to divide the family property. The whole family’s food, clothing, and expenses were all managed by her sister. The Xue family of Hedong sounded prestigious, but they were just a branch that had moved to the capital. Master Xue held a minor official position, which he had retired from two years ago. The family’s businesses weren’t very profitable, and they lived frugally. It was her sister’s careful management and hard work that allowed the family to live comfortably.

Old Madam Xue had imposed rules on her sister from the moment she entered the house, and she continued to do so even after her sister became a mother-in-law. After decades of marriage, the number of days she had been allowed to leave the house could be counted on one hand.

Her hometown was far away, so it was fine if she didn’t go back. But she was married to the capital, and the two sisters were so close, yet Madam Xue rarely visited her.

Her sister was like a maid in the Xue family, responsible for raising children. Old Madam Xue claimed she didn’t trust the servants to take care of the children, so she had Madam Xue raise both her own children and the children of her husband’s concubines. But once the children were old enough, Old Madam Xue would win them over to her side. When the children grew up, they were spoiled by Old Madam Xue and became closer to their grandmother. Old Madam Xue didn’t even allow Madam Xue to be involved in her sons’ marriages or her concubine-born daughters’ betrothals….

Entertaining guests last night.

Madam of Dongyang’s crying paused. She looked at Mama Jiang, who was kneeling beside her. “Entertaining what guests?”

Because of Madam of Dongyang’s crying, Zhou Jingyun had everyone else leave the room. “Mother, let it out,” he said softly. “Aunt is worried about you.”

Only Mama Jiang stayed by her side.

Hearing Madam of Dongyang’s question, Mama Jiang’s tears flowed again. “Old Madam arranged a marriage for the Young Master. Last night, the prospective in-laws came to see him. Madam only found out during dinner.”

Madam of Dongyang gripped the edge of the bed and asked through gritted teeth, “Which family?”

Mama Jiang lowered her head and cried, “Second Madam’s cousin’s family, from Yueyang, a merchant family.”

The eldest daughter-in-law was chosen by Old Madam Xue. At least she was from an official family, but she was meek and couldn’t manage the household affairs. In the future, she would definitely be overshadowed by the second branch. Madam Xue had privately said that the second daughter-in-law must be someone capable of managing the household. She hadn’t expected Old Madam Xue to interfere again, and it was even Second Madam Xue’s relative. Wouldn’t the entire first branch of the Xue family be controlled by the second branch?

Not to mention Madam Xue, even Madam of Dongyang almost fainted from anger. The surrounding sounds became chaotic. She couldn’t hear what Mama Jiang was saying, but she heard Zhou Jingyun and the doctors talking outside.

“…She’s been unconscious for three days now. If she can wake up within six days, it’ll be fine, otherwise…”

Within six days, that meant only three days left. Madam of Dongyang clutched her chest and leaned over Madam Xue, crying loudly.

Her sister could have avoided marrying into the Xue family. Their father had said that the Xue family’s morals were questionable. But because their mother had passed away, and she was already engaged to the heir of the Dongyang Marquis Residence, her sister insisted on marrying into the Xue family in the capital to take care of her.

It was all her fault that her sister was suffering.

Because of Madam of Dongyang’s loud crying, Zhou Jingyun and the others rushed back in.

“Mother, don’t cry. The doctor said Aunt might still be able to sense things,” he persuaded softly. “Look, Aunt is worried about you.”

Madam of Dongyang bit back her sobs. Yes, she knew that even if her sister was sick, her first thought upon hearing her cry would be to worry about her.

“Doctor, doctor, you must cure her, no matter the cost.” She turned to Imperial Physician Wu and Zhang Shilin, about to kneel.

Imperial Physician Wu and Zhang Shilin hurriedly stopped her.

“Madam, we will do our best.”

But their expressions were helpless.

“It’s just…”

As they were speaking, a soft female voice rang out.

“Let me try.”

Everyone in the room fell silent and looked towards the source of the voice. They saw a young woman standing quietly.

Seventh Miss Xue couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister-in-law, you know medicine?”