Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 197 - 196: Falling Ill

Chapter 197: Chapter 196: Falling Ill

Everyone had a meal together. Marquis Chu shared a table with Chu Lingxuan, while Abbot Liao Chen and Chen Afu were at another table with the three children. Both tables were set up in a Zen room. It was clear that the Marquis was very fond of his former daughter-in-law, Liao Chen, and seemed to unambiguously align himself with her rather than his biological son.

After the meal, Marquis Chu took the children for an afternoon rest, while Chu Lingxuan, Chen Afu, and Abbot Liao Chen sat in the West Meditation Room chatting about domestic affairs.

The room was permeated with a light scent of agarwood. The bed was heated, and a coal basin was also set alight. A white jade flower goblet on the table and a pair of large blue-and-white vases, half the height of a person and placed in corners of the room, were filled with brilliantly blooming red plums. The room felt as warm and radiant as springtime.

Abbot Liao Chen pulled Chen Afu to sit next to her on the bed, all the while, hold Chen Afu’s left hand in hers. Her hand was soft and delicate, not at all like that of a middle-aged woman. Chu Lingxuan sat on the other side of the bed, speaking softly about things happening at home.

He mentioned that the third aunt would come to see her after having sorted out the Marquis’ Mansion. His sister was doing well in her husband’s home, and her son was almost a year old—they would visit her when the child was bigger. He also talked about matters of the Luo family, Abbot Liao Chen’s parents’ home. Her mother’s health had improved a lot. He further spoke about what the Luos had sent as New Year gifts and so on.

After listening to their conversation, Chen Afu had a clearer understanding of affairs relating to the Capital Marquis Mansion and the Luos. Chu Lingxuan had a sister named Chu Hua, who was nineteen years old, with her in-laws being the Guardian Duke Mansion. Mrs. Chu had been in charge of managing the mansion for years, running annual deficits due to her unabashed embezzlement that even the angry Marquis had no way to handle. The reason for this was that, Mrs. Chu’s husband had lost an arm to a pack of wolves during a hunting trip with his noble friends when he was younger. He could thus no longer serve as an official and could only idle around at home after donating for a position of the fourth rank. He had been indulging his wife a lot due to his affection for her. Abbot Liao Chen’s mother was still alive; however, she was bedridden due to her poor health.

Chu Lingxuan, at this moment, was dressed in a semi-worn purple cotton robe, looking like a domesticated husband in a gentle manner, quietly chatting about mundane household matters with his mother. Surprisingly, Liao Chen was very interested, occasionally even providing her commentary.

Who would have thought that this cold and reserved man could also have such a side to him?

Chen Afu clearly felt that Chu Lingxuan was doing this on purpose, trying to keep Liao Chen concerned about worldly matters instead of completely cutting off her secular ties.

The three of them, with such casual conversation, did not seem to be in a Zen room at all. Instead, it felt more like a family chatting in their own house.

Afterward, Chu Lingxuan asked Chen Afu about her visit to Master Wu Zhi. Chen Afu did not dare to mention Master Wu Zhi’s comments about Dabao, and only said that he had mentioned that Uncle Wang Cheng might still be alive.

Chu Lingxuan said, "Your uncle’s registered name in the military is Li Gousheng, right? Once I get back, I’ll write to my third uncle and my brothers on the frontier to see if they can find out about him."

Chen Afu thanked him again.

After about an hour of conversation, Marquis Chu and the three children got up, and everyone bid farewell to go home.

Liao Chen saw them off at the entrance of the nunnery, waving goodbye with teary eyes.

Back at the entrance of the Tang Garden, Chen Afu helped Chu Hanyan down from the carriage and handed Chu Lingxuan Marquis Chu’s wallet. Seeing Chu Lingxuan clearly reluctant to take it, Chen Afu had to explain that she didn’t want to meddle, but had to accept it under such circumstances.

Chu Lingxuan quickly said, "I don’t blame you. I just feel that, to this point, why did he have to make such a move? And to drag you into it, as if he’s sure I wouldn’t....". He didn’t finish his sentence, but took the wallet. Seeing Chen Afu’s flushed face, he asked, "Are you ill?"

Chen Afu nodded, "Maybe. On the way back, I began to feel light-headed and chilled."

Chu Lingxuan blamed himself, "He must have been scared by that woman. It’s all my fault, I should have persuaded you to go to Yingxue Nunnery first."

Chen Afu laughed and said, "It’s not serious, I’ll be fine after going home, having some ginger soup and taking a good rest."

Chu Lingxuan told her to rest well, and if she still felt unwell, to let him know and he would get a good doctor for her. He then ordered the coachman to take the three of them back to Lu Garden.

When they got back home and saw Chen Ye, Chen Shi, and Mrs. Chen all sitting in the main room talking, Chen Afu greeted them before asking Aunt Mu to make her some ginger soup. She also asked Alu to take Dabao to sleep, telling them that she was sick. She returned to the west wing, quickly got ready for bed, and lay down after a brief wash.

After drinking the ginger sugar water that Aunt Mu brought, she burrowed under the covers and slept deeply.

This illness hit her hard; with high fever and unconscious for she didn’t know how long. In her daze, she heard sobbing, especially the cries of several children, which were extremely mournful. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn’t open them. She occasionally felt other people in the room, Mrs. Wang weeping as she tried to feed her medicine, but she couldn’t open her mouth...

And Jin Yanzi, who darted angry glances at her, stomping her feet, and berating her for not entering the spatial portal first...

When she woke up, she saw Mrs. Wang sitting next to her, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Mother," she said.

When Mrs. Wang saw she was awake, she exclaimed happily, "Afu, you are finally awake. You don’t know how scared I was." She then stood up and called for Xiao Qing,"Hurry, go tell Uncle Chen upstairs that Afu is awake. Then, send someone to Tang Garden to let Grandfather Chen and Mr. Chu know that Afu has woken up."

A white-bearded old doctor then entered the room, whom Mrs. Wang said was Dr. Huang, specially brought in from the capital city by Mr. Chu. He had previously served as the royal physician. After checking Afu’s pulse and applying acupuncture, he said, "Ms. Chen is out of danger. Continue taking medicine for another fortnight, and she will recover."

Shortly after, Chu Lingxuan and Huang could be heard talking outside. The doctor was explaining Chen Afu’s condition, and Chu Lingxuan expressed his gratitude and said he would accompany him back to Dingzhou the next day.

After taking her medicine, Chen Afu fell asleep again.

When she woke up again, her mind was much clearer. It was already the morning of the 12th day of the first lunar month.

According to Mrs. Wang, she had slept all day and into the night, not waking even when called. With her forehead burning hot, everyone at home realised something was wrong and called Dr. Yu from the village in a state of shock. Despite Dr. Yu applying acupuncture and administering medicine, her condition didn’t improve.

Chen Ming then went to Tang Garden to seek help from Mr. Chu, who rode through the night to the city of Dingzhou to bring back this old Dr. Huang. He said Dr. Huang was the best doctor in Dingzhou. Mr. Chu, did not go to his government post on the 10th day, he had been anxiously awaiting news about Chen Afu. Once he heard that Chen Afu was out of danger, he left for the capital city with Dr. Huang ...

And then there were the children, Dabao, Ms. Chu, and Alu. They were so distressed when they heard that Chen Afu was ill. Unable to enter the room, they all stayed outside the door crying inconsolably. Especially Dabao, he could neither eat nor sleep well, and had even lost some weight. Chu Hanyan was not faring much better either. She came to Lu Garden every day, and if she couldn’t enter the west wing, she would sit blankly in the east one. She was noticeably less talkative and lively than before...