Xie Qiqi was well aware of Cui'er’s past. She whispered, "Sister Cui'er is right. I used to dream of being able to show filial piety to Mother. I am willing..."
Xie Qiqi pulled up Yue Huijuan’s trouser leg, revealing her bruised knees. Yue Huijuan instinctively recoiled. Thinking she had hurt her mother, Xie Qiqi said guiltily, "I'm sorry, Mother. I will be more careful!"
Mother had fallen and hurt herself while praying for her; it must be so painful! "Mother, let me give your knees a massage and then apply a hot compress; that will be much more effective."
Xie Qiqi massaged the knees with gentle hands, but after half-crouching for a while, she could no longer hold the position, so she simply knelt. Seeing Xie Qiqi with her head bowed, working diligently, Yue Huijuan’s heart softened. She reached out, stroked the top of Xie Qiqi’s head, and said softly, "Qiqi, do you resent Mother for making you kneel today?"
Feeling Yue Huijuan’s hand on her head, Xie Qiqi felt a sudden warmth in her eyes, and tears welled up uncontrollably. During the eight years she was a government slave, whenever she was beaten, starved, or forced to sleep in a smelly, freezing stable, the thing she craved most was her mother’s embrace. She had not felt this long-lost affection for over eight years. Afraid of breaking down in tears, she simply bit her lip and shook her head.
"Qiqi, Mother knows you are jealous that Yuer is more talented than you, and that your brothers favor her, which is why you keep targeting her." Yue Huijuan patiently exhorted, "But everything she has is earned through hard work. You don't know how difficult it is for Yuer to study the zither and painting. To master the zither, she studied with an open mind and practiced diligently every single day for years..."
"If you want to earn the respect of others, jealousy alone won't work. You must put in the effort yourself..."
Xie Qiqi’s massaging hands paused. Did Mother think that her conflict with Yue Yue was out of jealousy? Was Yue Yue’s practice truly that difficult? She had spent eight years as a government slave in Yue Yue's place, struggling daily on the brink of starvation and cold. Her only hope then was to survive and return to her parents; she never had the opportunity to study such things. So, was she just lazy... and therefore unworthy of others' respect?
"Qiqi, you are Mother’s daughter, and Yue Yue is also Mother’s daughter. Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh! I don't want to see my daughters at odds." Yue Huijuan stroked Xie Qiqi’s head and said gently, "My little one has always been sensible and well-behaved. You wouldn't want Mother to be heartbroken over this, would you?"
Dazed, Xie Qiqi subconsciously nodded in agreement. Yue Huijuan smiled with even greater satisfaction, praising her, "Qiqi, this massage technique is quite good. Mother feels that her legs are much better!"
Cui'er glanced at Xie Qiqi with a smirk and said, "Since the Madam likes it, why not let the Fourth Young Miss come to massage the Madam every day? That way, the Madam’s legs will recover even sooner!"
Xie Qiqi was stunned. Something felt wrong, yet she also felt that if it helped her mother recover, it was simply her duty as a daughter. When she left, Yue Huijuan handed a box of pastries from the table to Xie Qiqi and smiled. "You've been tired all night, take these back for a midnight snack!"
As long as Xie Qiqi remained as obedient and sensible as before, a difficult personality was something she could slowly teach. Xie Qiqi held the pastry box happily as she walked out of the courtyard gate, only then remembering that she hadn't told her mother about how Yue Yue had made things difficult for her. But looking at the pastries in her hands, she suddenly didn't want to say anything anymore. If Mother knew how mean Yue Yue was, Mother would be sad!
Xie Qiqi hadn't eaten all day and was starving, so halfway back, she opened the box and took one. But the moment she bit into it, she froze. The pastry was hard, and there was a strong, foul odor in her mouth. She didn't know how many days this had been sitting out; it was truly impossible to swallow. Xie Qiqi couldn't believe her mother had given her spoiled pastries, but she consoled herself, thinking perhaps her mother had simply grabbed the wrong box.
Upon returning to Jifeng Courtyard, Xie Qiqi went to check on Yan'er and touched her exposed hand. It was burning hot. Yan'er had a fever! Xie Qiqi rummaged through her cabinets to find the fever medicine Imperial Physician Wang had prescribed for her. Remembering that she had coughed up blood several times today, she also looked for the medicine for her lung disease. Seeing that only two packets were left, Xie Qiqi’s brow furrowed in distress.
She had been hiding her lung disease from the family, and the money for her medicine was secretly covered by the allowance her grandmother had given her previously. But medicine for lung disease was very expensive—ten taels of silver per prescription. She only had twenty taels left; what would she do when that ran out?
Xie Qiqi brewed the medicine and fed it to Yan'er. After watching over her for several hours, Yan'er’s fever finally broke. Xie Qiqi let out a sigh of relief, and, exhausted and sore, she slumped over Yan'er’s bedside and fell asleep. She didn't know how long she slept, but when she woke up, it was broad daylight.
Xie Qiqi went to check on Yan'er and found that her fever had returned. Her wound was red and swollen; the dosage of medicine yesterday must not have been enough, leading to her condition worsening. Panicked, Xie Qiqi hurriedly combed her hair and rushed to find Doctor Gao for more medicine.
Doctor Gao was in the middle of brewing an ointment. Xie Qiqi explained her request, but Doctor Gao said in a difficult tone, "Fourth Young Miss, you've come at a bad time. The medicine I just brewed was already sent to the border for the Marquis. There is no more wound medicine left in the manor!"
Xie Qiqi paused. Her father and third brother were guarding the border; it was only right that the medicine went to them first. "Doctor Gao, if there is no ointment, that is fine. Could you give me some raw herbs to stop the bleeding and heal the wounds?" she pleaded.
Doctor Gao remained stubborn. "Fourth Young Miss, the war at the border has recently intensified, and the demand for medicine is high. The prices for these herbs have also skyrocketed. To get these herbs, you must obtain the Madam’s approval; otherwise..."
Xie Qiqi understood. She turned around, intending to go and ask for her mother's consent. As she walked out the door, she encountered Qiuju. Qiuju looked right past her and walked inside. Xie Qiqi stopped. Qiuju and Yan'er used to be like sisters; even if she had betrayed her, she must still have some feelings for Yan'er, right? Was she here to ask for medicine for Yan'er?
The sound of Qiuju’s voice came from inside: "Doctor Gao, the Fifth Young Miss sent me to get some wound medicine. Her hand was just scratched by a zither string..."
Doctor Gao’s obsequious voice replied, "Ah, is it serious? The Fifth Young Miss’s zither skills are superb; her hands are precious, we cannot let any scars remain... Here, take this top-quality ointment. Apply it for two days and it will be as good as new!"
Hearing this, Xie Qiqi’s face turned deathly pale. People move upward and water flows downward. In her eight years as a slave, she had seen too many people who fawned over the powerful and trampled on the weak. It was normal for servants to be sycophantic, but shouldn't a doctor be compassionate? Yan'er was waiting for medicine to save her life, yet Doctor Gao was this snobbish. Was one of Yue Yue's fingers more noble than Yan'er’s life?
Xie Qiqi’s hands clenched tightly, sorrow and anger colliding in her heart. She thought of the despair she felt before being thrown into the frozen lake, and the fear she felt yesterday when she saw Yan'er lying motionless. Xie Qiqi abruptly turned around and walked back in.