Chapter 6: Acting Like a Real Mother

"Alright, there’s a pouch of silver in the bundle the magistrate’s wife gave us earlier. I haven't checked how much is in it, but take it and go find a doctor. Be careful on the road; it’s cold and raining, the mountain paths are treacherous, and it’s not safe to be out in the middle of the night. I don't even know if the doctor in town will be willing to make a house call." Chen Ningya said, her voice filled with worry.

While fretting, Chen Ningya carried the two children into Zhang’s room.

The Wen family was destitute, owning only four thatched huts. One served as the main hall where they ate and entertained guests, one was the kitchen, and the other two were bedrooms. One had been Zhang’s room while she was alive, and the other was for Wen Youshan and his wife. Previously, Wen Yuanliang and Wen Yuanhong had shared a room with Zhang, while the other three children slept with Wen Youshan and his wife.

With both children running a fever now, Chen Ningya didn't dare take them back to their own room, fearing the two younger ones would also be infected.

The waiting time felt agonizingly long, so long that Chen Ningya could barely sit still. Although she wiped the children down with warm water over and over, their foreheads remained frighteningly hot, and they had started to talk in their sleep.

Chen Ningya leaned in to listen and found that even in their delirium, the children were still thinking about eating meat. She felt a mix of amusement and heartache, her anxiety mounting as she kept glancing out toward the courtyard.

After Chen Ningya had peered out more than a dozen times, Wen Youshan finally returned with the doctor in a donkey cart.

Chen Ningya hurried out, saying anxiously, "Doctor, please, take a look at the children. Their high fever won't break, and they’ve started talking nonsense."

"Don't worry, Mistress Wen, let me examine the patients." The doctor carried his medicine chest into the room. His gaze swept over the basin of warm water nearby, and he nodded approvingly. "You’ve been wiping them down?"

Chen Ningya nodded like a bobbing bird. "Yes, I wiped both of them, but it doesn't seem to have had any effect."

Her brows were knitted so tightly they seemed to be knotted. She clearly remembered the doctor doing this before; why was it ineffective when she followed the same method?

The doctor took their pulses unhurriedly, checked their eyelids and mouths, and examined them thoroughly. His voice turned heavy. "They have chickenpox, complicated by a cold. The illness is aggressive, which is why the fever won't break. Fortunately, it’s just chickenpox and won't be fatal. However, it is contagious. I don't know which one caught it from the other, but if there are other children in the house, remember to keep them away from this room. It’s also best if the adults caring for them don't have contact with the other children, to avoid spreading it."

Upon hearing it was both chickenpox and a cold, Chen Ningya’s face turned deathly pale. She knew exactly what chickenpox was. While it might not be fatal, it was no minor ailment, especially in the Wen family’s circumstances. If handled poorly, a small illness could turn into a major one, and with the cold on top of it, it was enough to cost the two children half their lives.

Thinking of this, Chen Ningya dropped to her knees before the doctor, tears streaming down her face. "Doctor, I beg you, please save them."

"Mistress Wen, don't panic. It hasn't reached that point yet. Fortunately, you came for me in time and didn't delay their treatment. I will write a prescription now. There are a few herbs I’m missing, but you can boil what I have and feed it to them to bring the fever down. Later, have the Wen lad come with me to get the rest." The doctor began to write the prescription.

Wen Youshan stood to the side, breathing heavily. He hadn't realized the children’s condition was so severe. The room fell silent, save for the sound of their breathing.

Chen Ningya stared blankly at the two children, then suddenly looked up at Wen Youshan, musing, "In a while, you take the doctor back and come straight home after getting the medicine. I’ll boil hot water; when you get back, take a bath and change into clean clothes before coming in to care for the children. I’ll stay in Mother’s room for these few days. If there’s nothing urgent, don't come into this room, so you don't affect the other children."

"I should be the one caring for them; you go back to your room," Wen Youshan shook his head.

Chen Ningya insisted, "Listen to me. I have nothing to do at home anyway, but you have to go out; you can't stay cooped up in this room. Also, bring the eldest back; he can help out."

Although Wen Yuanliang was only eight, children of the poor grew up early, and he was quite mature for his age; he could act as half an adult at a time like this.

At the mention of Wen Yuanliang, Wen Youshan’s expression darkened, though he didn't flare up in front of Chen Ningya.

Once the doctor finished the prescription and handed the fever-reducing herbs to Chen Ningya, she immediately went out to boil the medicine.

The Wen family hadn't owned a medicine pot before; they had only bought one after Zhang fell ill, and it was finally being put to use.

While Chen Ningya was boiling the medicine, Wen Youshan brought out the donkey cart to take the doctor back. Before leaving, he called out loudly toward the house, "Second girl, stay in the room with your brothers and don't come out. I’ll come find you when I get back. If you need anything, call your mother; she’s in your grandmother’s room taking care of your brother and sister, understand?"

"Understood!" came a soft, sweet response from the room. It was unclear if the little girl truly understood or just half-understood. Wen Youshan cracked the whip, and they sped away with the doctor.

While boiling the medicine, Chen Ningya was afraid the two younger ones would be scared, so she lit a fire in the courtyard. With the light drizzle falling, there was no need to worry about anything catching fire.

By the time Wen Youshan returned, it was already the Hour of the Ox (1:00 AM to 3:00 AM). Chen Ningya had just finished feeding the children the medicine and was watching them without blinking.

Wen Youshan pushed the door open, and Chen Ningya hurriedly said, "Leave the medicine there. Don't come in. There’s hot water in the kitchen; wash up properly and change your clothes before you come in."

Wen Youshan nodded hesitantly and turned to leave, following Chen Ningya’s instructions.

Before long, the sound of water came from outside, and the two children began to sweat. Chen Ningya finally let out a sigh of relief. As her tense nerves relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She closed her eyes to rest for a moment, but unexpectedly drifted off into a daze. When she opened her eyes again, the candle in the room had almost burned out, and it was pitch black outside the window; she had no idea what time it was.

Chen Ningya reached out to touch the children’s heads and found their foreheads were no longer as hot as before, though the fever hadn't completely broken. Dense patches of chickenpox had begun to appear on their bodies. They hadn't been there before—how much time had passed for so many to break out? Combined with the lingering cold, she feared the high fever might return. Her heart tightened again. Her touch, however, woke the two children.

Wen Yuanzhen looked at Chen Ningya in confusion and tentatively called out, "Mother?"

Chen Ningya, lost in thought, snapped back to reality. She let out a breath and smiled, "You're awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Wen Yuanzhen nodded honestly. "It itches. My body and face itch."

As she spoke, Wen Yuanzhen reached out to scratch, but Wen Yuanhong was faster—he had already started.