Resplendent – Chapter 384

Chapter 384: Meeting an Old Acquaintance

Gu Ye then realized that the entire inn had been reserved by Yin Mei. There were three upper rooms—one for her grandfather, one for Gu ming and Brother Cheng, and one for herself. 

The remaining seven or eight rooms were occupied by Aunt Yan, Yin Mei, and the other companions traveling with them. If they squeezed in a bit, they could probably spare two rooms.

“Traveling away from home isn’t easy for anyone. Let Aunt Yan stay with us, and Yin Mei can share a room with my brothers. That way, we can free up two rooms for them!” Gu Ye shuddered at the thought of going back to the ship in this weather—it would be pure misery. 

Offering convenience to others was, in turn, a kindness to themselves, so Gu Ye gave the order.

Aunt Yan brought over her special spice box and a small bundle of belongings. After setting her things down, she headed straight to the kitchen—Gu Ye’s meals were never entrusted to anyone else. 

Aunt Yan’s mission was to find ways to make the girl eat more. The young lady had gotten thinner again, which no responsible cook wanted to see! With today’s cooler weather, perhaps she’d eat a bit more.

“Aunt Yan, how about braised pork for lunch? I’m craving meat!” Gu Ye’s words instantly lifted Aunt Yan’s spirits. 

Her lady finally had a craving of her own, and while braised pork might be heavy for a hot summer day, she would make it happen!

Sitting idly by the window, waiting to eat, Gu Ye petted the small black cat that had come to nuzzle her arm, squeezing its tiny paws. The soft pads had fully healed from when it lost its claws saving her last time, and they felt wonderfully soft in her hands.

She lifted the little black cat’s paws and brought it up to her face, tapping its tiny nose. “Xiao Mo, are you craving meat too?  Were you the one behind the missing food in the ship’s ice cellar? For a cat, you’ve been acting awfully mouse-like!”

“Meow—” the little black cat protested—it was a leopard, not related to mere house cats. 

Besides, the portions of food it was given at each meal were barely enough to fill the gap between its teeth! If it didn’t find extra food for itself, it would surely starve! 

On the ship, the most abundant food was its least favorite—fish. The kitchen staff always tried to tease it with fish. 

Ridiculous! If anyone liked fish, they could have it. This leopard had no interest!

“How about fish soup over rice for lunch?  A big bowl!” Gu Ye teased it deliberately. 

While on the ship, the crew and sailors found the little black cat charming and haughty, and they often amused themselves by offering it dried fish and fish meat, much to the Shitian’s annoyance. 

Some well-meaning sailors even helped feed the little black cat every day, and their offerings were always the same—fish soup over rice, often with large chunks of fish. Unfortunately, this proud feline lord always turned up its nose and walked away, preferring starvation over anything fish-related!

Brother Chen had told her that this black leopard was found as a cub by servants on an estate and raised as a cat. It must have been traumatized by eating fish when it was little!

Sure enough, the little guy immediately went limp in her hands and pretended to play dead upon hearing the mention of fish soup over rice. If they kept feeding it fish soup over rice for a few more days, it might truly starve! 

His heartless mistress was deliberately letting it suffer. Shitian shot Gu Ye a pitiful, resentful glare.

“Oh!  Now you’re blaming me?”  Gu Ye teased, pinching its ungrateful little ear. “When I had no appetite, whose belly did Aunt Yan’s pastries end up in?”

“Meow—” Shitian pointed one paw accusingly at Yue Yuan, who was watching the exchange with a smile.

Caught off guard, Yue Yuan laughed and protested, “Miss, this cat truly has become a spirit—it even knows how to frame others.  All those pastries of yours, except for the ones you specifically gave to me, ended up in its belly.  Sometimes, even when you did give me some, it would swoop in and steal them! You don’t know how quick this little bandit is—it grabs and bolts in an instant!”

Shitian shot her a disdainful look, as if to say, You lost. Is that my fault?

Amidst the playful bickering between the cat and maid, Qing Feng’s voice called out from outside, “Miss, the Elder Master is asking for you in his room—he says there’s an old acquaintance visiting!”

“An old acquaintance? On this tiny dock?” Gu Ye wondered aloud. With Yue Yuan’s help, she put her raincoat back on, opened an oiled-paper umbrella, and quickly made her way in small, hurried steps toward her grandfather’s room.

As soon as she walked in, Gu Ye heard her grandfather chatting warmly with someone, and their conversation revolved around smallpox vaccination. The other person’s voice sounded vaguely familiar. Looking closely, she realized it was none other than Elder Xue, who had recently recovered from tuberculosis.

“Elder, shouldn’t you be resting and recuperating at home? Why travel all the way to the capital?  Don’t tell me… the county magistrate reporting to the capital is you?” Gu Ye teased. 

At his advanced age, still only a minor county official—it seemed Elder Xue hadn’t achieved much in terms of career rank! However, in this era, there were no age limits for the imperial examinations—there were even septuagenarians taking them.

Seeing through her thoughts, Elder Xue chuckled heartily and said, “There is indeed a County Magistrate Xue here, but it’s not this old man!” Following his gaze, Gu Ye saw that it was his son, Xue Jiahe, who was returning to the capital to report for duty.

“My old friend of many decades is celebrating a birthday in October. I thought I’d take the chance to join my son’s trip to the capital and attend the festivities. Don’t worry, I’m in good health now! I’ve been keeping your medicinal tonic with me and drinking it on schedule every day. But you, girl—you look as if you’ve been through a serious illness!  You’re so thin, like a dried radish!” Elder Xue remarked with concern, taking in her frail appearance.

Gu Ye greeted Uncle Xue, Aunt Xue, and their two children with a smile. She then sighed and pulled a face, “The summer heat has been so oppressive, it’s like I’ve been sick this whole time.  Thankfully, today’s rain has cooled things down a bit, or you’d be seeing an even more wilted version of me!”

“This poor girl, why does she have such a condition?” Elder Xue sighed helplessly upon hearing that it was due to ‘summer heat fatigue.’

However, his daughter-in-law, Madam Xue (Huang-shi), spoke up, “My younger sister has the same issue.  A maidservant at home once suggested a remedy that actually worked quite well. Perhaps the young lady would like to try it?

Yue Yuan, delighted by this, eagerly asked, “What is the remedy?”

Madam Huang explained that it involved a method called jiusha (a popular treatment for heatstroke or other febrile diseases by repeatedly pinching the patient’s neck, etc. to achieve congestion) for heat exhaustion.  

In the summer, some people’s bodies retain internal heat due to their constitution, causing symptoms such as fever, irritability, loss of appetite, fatigue, and chest tightness.  

By using this jiusha technique to release the trapped heat, it provided immediate relief and significantly reduced the symptoms. Unfortunately, this traditional method had become rare in modern times!

“Madam Xue, would you be willing to teach me? Our Miss experiences these symptoms every summer. She gains back all the weight she lost during the year, only to lose it again. It truly pains me to see her like this!” Yue Yuan pleaded earnestly

Madam Huang smiled warmly, “It’s just an old country remedy—I was worried Miss Gu might find it too simple.  But if you’re interested, I’m more than happy to teach it!”