Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Medicine for Ye Zhiqiu
"Just one steamed bun won’t be enough for my Yuan’er," Zheng Huizhen continued. "The porridge should be given to Mother. She has finally woken up and is still in a weak condition."
The first sentence was referring to her son while her next words were talking about Old Madam Ye, the wife of the previous family head.
The news about their exile had made Old Madam Ye suffer a great shock, causing her to pass out in her room. Old Madam Ye had the closest relationship with her eldest son.
She rarely meddled in the Ye family’s affairs, allowing Madam Ye to take charge of the household. Still, when it came to her eldest son, Old Madam Ye was quite biased.
In order for Ye Shichang to gain benefits or secure a certain opportunity, Old Madam Ye would still fight for him even when she had to confront her second son.
Madam Ye frowned at her first sister-in-law’s words. Although Ye Zhiqiu was unconscious, it didn’t mean that he didn’t need to eat. He could still take the porridge once it cooled down.
"You won’t be so unfilial that you will hoard the food for yourself, right?" Zheng Huizhen pressed.
The first branch’s second son was a gluttonous person, weighing double from normal people. Zheng Huizhen really spoiled him a lot, letting him indulge in pleasure as a playboy in the brothel.
He really wasted his life away.
"Eldest sister-in-law, even though Qiu’er is unconscious, he still needs to eat something." Madam Ye looked at Zheng Huizhen in disapproval.
Zheng Huizhen pursed her lips unhappily. She always disliked Madam Ye. Her husband was the eldest son, and yet, the position of the family’s head actually fell to someone else.
As a result, she couldn’t get the position as Mistress of the Ye family.
All along, she had been hiding her jealousy toward the lucky Shen Jingyi for having married the second son of the Ye family and became the one in charge of the household affairs.
Now, she determined she didn’t need to pretend anymore and began to reveal her true colors.
"Can your eldest son still be saved? We have no physician here. Rather than wasting the food–" Zheng Huizhen’s words were cut off. "Ouch, hiss!"
A small stone landed accurately on her lower lip.
Zheng Huizhen clutched her lip. She staggered back a little due to shock, and soon, pain spread from her lower lip.
"Who threw... hiss, who threw that at me?" She exploded. The pain made her eyes water slightly.
From the side, Ye Lingyue tried to hold back a snicker. The first branch’s wife is such a shrew; she really can’t stand her.
Since she was so greedy, the injured lip would make her fast for a few days.
Ye Lingyue inwardly waved her arm. There’s no need to thank her! She was just helping the first branch’s wife to lose weight.
Zheng Huizhen wasn’t as fat as Ye Mingyuan, her second son, but they both surely look well-fed. Sometimes, Zheng Huizhen would already gasp for breath after walking a short distance.
Hence, during the few hours of short walk earlier, she kept staying in the carriage.
"Come out!" Zheng Huizhen raised her voice, her hand trembling.
She began to point her finger at them one by one accusingly. Her finger landed on Ye Lingrui’s direction. "Is... hiss, is it you?"
Ye Lingrui raised his eyebrows. He raised his hand. "Eldest Aunt, you can’t accuse people arbitrarily. I was grinding herbs for my eldest brother."
Upon hearing that, Zheng Huizhen frowned unhappily. Her eyes scanned the other two, Madam Ye and Ye Lingyue, suspiciously.
Madam Ye couldn’t bear it anymore and sternly told her, "Eldest sister-in-law, you don’t need to bother yourself about our affairs. We will take care of Qiu’er ourselves."
"We won’t give the food to you. The steamed bun and porridge are my eldest son’s portion. Please, go back." She pursed her lips unhappily.
This Zheng Huizhen actually had no tact at all, cursing her eldest son to die.
Zheng Huizhen was annoyed by Madam Ye’s words, but seeing the other’s stern face, she could only say in a low voice. "If you are... hiss, unwilling and unfilial, just say it."
Once the words escaped from her lips, Zheng Huizhen could feel some stones landing on her feet. She became alarmed and turned around to find the culprit.
Alas, she couldn’t find anyone suspicious anymore.
She had made sure that the three people from the second branch hadn’t lifted their hands to throw her stones at all. Her heart became fearful and she hurriedly left without looking back.
Ye Lingyue’s eyes were filled with a triumphant look. The moment Zheng Huizhen slowed down, she threw her some more stones, and the middle-aged woman hurriedly fastened her pace, afraid the stone might hurt another part of her body.
"Hmph," Ye Lingyue snorted softly.
Soon, Madam Ye and Ye Lingrui finished grinding the herbs. The three returned to the carriage and began to apply the medicinal paste on Ye Zhiqiu’s wounds.
Ye Chengde arrived not long after, bringing a wok with him. He had to unpack some items in the ox cart just to find it.
"Here." He handed over the wok to his wife.
Shen Jingyi took it and put the herbs into the wok. They still needed to make a medical concoction to reduce Ye Zhiqiu’s fever.
"You two eat first." Ye Chengde told his wife and son. "I will deal with the medicine."
With that, Ye Chengde snatched the wok from his wife and went out of the carriage. He started to make fire with the firewoods he had found.
He returned not long after, bringing a hot medicinal concoction.
"Husband, your food is already cold. Eat them first." Shen Jingyi handed over one steamed bun and the porridge to Ye Chengde.
"I will take two coarse steamed buns," Ye Chengde decided. "Qiu’er is still unconscious and can’t eat it. Give my porridge to him."
He ate in silence while his wife and third son were helping the eldest son drinking his medicine and porridge.
"Father, who did Eldest Brother have killed?"
