Chapter 80

“Uncle Liu, how come you returned at such a late hour?” It was Yu Xiaohu who opened the door. With a robe dangling on his shoulders, Yu Xiaohu lifted the oil lamp and moved closer, but next, he suddenly cried out, “What’s wrong with Zixiu? Come on in!”

Hearing the noise at the door, Yu Laosan walked out of his room as well. When he saw Liu Wuyi and Yu Xiaohu helping Zixiu to the wing, he asked in surprise, “What happened?”

“Grandpa, Zixiu seems to be ill.” From his temperature and the abnormal flush on Zixiu’s face, Yu Xiaohu could tell he was running a fever. He immediately helped Zixiu to the bed and after the latter lay down, he turned while speaking anxiously, “I’m going to town right now and sending for the physician…”

“Don’t bother!” Liu Wuyi immediately stopped him. If the physician came, he would find out Zixiu’s ‘pregnancy’! Therefore, Liu Wuyi had to lie to the Yus. “We have just come back from the clinic. The physician said Zixiu caught a cold and some medicine and a sound sleep would get him alright the next morning.”

“Really? I felt much relieved!” Yu Laosan and his grandson took a sigh of relief.

“Where’s the medicine? Just give it to Xiaohu and let him decoct it!” Yu Laosan urged.

Liu Wuyi had to keep lying. “No worries. Zixiu already took the medicine at the clinic. It’s time for bed. Just leave us alone and go back to rest!”

“Did you have your dinner?” showing no sign of leaving, Yu Laosan asked with concern.

Only then did Liu Wuyi feel that he was really hungry, and he thought his son must be hungry too. “Not yet!” He shook his head.

Hearing that, Yu Xiaohu immediately walked out. “Uncle Liu, wait a minute! I’m warming the dishes up!”

“Don’t bother! Let me do it. You…”

“You’re our guest. How can we have you do it in person!” Yu Laosan interrupted him and shouted, “Xiaohu, ask Shiliu to cook some gruel for Zixiu!”

An hour later, Yu Laosan went back to his bedroom. As soon as Liu Wuyi finished his meal, Yu Xiaohu brought in a bowl of steaming gruel.

“Give it to me. It’s late at night. Come on, just go back to rest!” Liu Wuyi felt very guilty for troubling the Yus. Actually, if it weren’t for Zixiu’s sudden illness, they would have spent the night on the haystack outside the village.

As warm-hearted as his grandpa, Yu Xiaohu didn’t leave but walked to the bed. He took the wet towel from Zixiu’s forehead swiftly, washed it in the water basin by the bed, and placed it on Zixiu’s forehead again after wringing out the excess water in the towel. “Uncle Liu, no worries! Zixiu will be alright soon,” he said, trying to comfort Liu Wuyi.

Liu Wuyi was a little surprised at Xiaohu’s thoughtfulness. Touched, he unfurled his knitted brows a little bit. ‘It’s obvious that Yu Xiaohu is much more mature than Zixiu and as a father, he knows better how I feel!’ Liu Wuyi thought.

“Uncle Liu, I’m going back to my room. Don’t stay up too late!”

“Hm!” Liu Wuyi nodded, watching Yu Xiaohu step out when he suddenly remembered those soldiers they had seen near the entrance to the village, so he immediately stopped the kid who had already crossed the threshold. “Wait!”

“Anything else, Uncle Liu?”

“Er… Xiaohu, did anything happen in the village?”

“Huh?” Yuxiao Hu widened his eyes and looked at Liu Wuyi blankly, wondering what he meant.

‘Didn’t those soldiers come to get us?’ Liu Wuyi wondered in surprise. After a while, he continued, “We saw a team of soldiers on our way back. It seemed they just came out of our village…”

“Oh! So you’re talking about them!” Yu Xiaohu took a sigh of relief and before his elder could finish his words, he answered, “Those soldiers came to Mount Windward for medicinal herbs!”

“For medicinal herbs?”

“Prince Mu in the capital city was sick. It was said there was a magic herb in the Cirrus Valley in Mount Windward that could cure his disease, so those soldiers were sent here. They’ve been looking for the herb for two months. They came to the mountains almost every few days, and some of them even stationed in the mountains! Seems they haven’t found what they want yet. I’d love to know what the magic herb is…”

It suddenly came to Yu Xiaohu that the elder in front of him was a senior medicinal herb collector in Mount Windward. He then asked curiously, “Uncle Liu, do you know where the Cirrus Valley is? What the hell the…”

Yu Xiaohu stopped talking when he suddenly found that his amiable Uncle Liu’s face had turned livid.

“Uncle Liu!” he was a little worried, wondering if Liu Wuyi was ill as well. “Uncle Liu! Are you alright? Uncle Liu…”

Liu Wuyi came back to his senses at Yu Xiaohu’s anxious cries. He put on a calm look in haste and shook his head slightly. “I’m fine. You go back to rest!” he answered, sounding very tired.