Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 707 - 660 Family Reunion (2)

When the older Chang Sui brought the medicine, Baili Huang, as usual, drank it without refusal.

Li Yuzhu suddenly exclaimed, "Although it’s better to take medicine for stomach pain before meals, you can’t let the master stay hungry. Why hasn’t the master’s breakfast been served?"

The older Chang Sui glanced towards the door, "Chang’an is taking too long."

During this brief exchange, Baili Huang poured the medicine into the pillow and quickly turned it over.

When the older Chang Sui looked back at Baili Huang, Baili Huang had already handed him an empty bowl.

He didn’t suspect a thing and took the bowl away. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Another Chang Sui entered the room with a bowl of rice porridge.

Li Yuzhu took it in her hand, quickly smelled it, and only after confirming there was no issue, smiled and said, "What a fragrant rice porridge. The rice from the Northern Land is more aromatic than ours from the Southern Land."

She wasn’t smelling the rice fragrance; she was checking if there was any tampering.

Baili Huang glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said, "Li San Niang likes rice from the Northern Land. When you return, I’ll have someone buy some to send to Li San Niang."

Li Yuzhu handed him the bowl and thanked him with a smile, "Thank you, Master."

Baili Huang laughed heartily, "It’s just some rice; it’s nothing."

Li Yuzhu finished treating Baili Huang and then followed the maid Yin Zhen to Second Madam Baili’s residence.

Second Madam Baili had always been clear-headed and was more aware of her situation than Baili Huang, making her more vigilant.

Moreover, the medicine she took was not decoctions but the ready-made Chinese medicine cooked by Li Yuzhu, so Second Madam Baili was not worried about anyone tampering with her medicine.

After taking medicine and resting well, Second Madam Baili looked much better than the previous day.

When Li Yuzhu entered the bedroom, Second Madam Baili had already gotten out of bed and was walking around with the help of the maid.

"Good morning, Second Madam." Li Yuzhu smiled as she approached.

Second Madam Baili waved her over and sat down, leaning on the table.

"I feel a bit better, so I got up for a little walk." Second Madam Baili smiled.

She was better at giving orders to maids than Baili Huang, constantly telling them to make tea, fetch a hand warmer for Li Yuzhu, and find something for Guoguo to play with, who had accompanied her.

The two maids were kept busy running in circles.

With a livelier Guoguo running around the room, Yin Zhen, who came along, was also too busy to speak.

Taking advantage of a free moment, Second Madam Baili pulled Li Yuzhu aside and quietly asked about Baili Huang’s condition, "How is my husband?"

The fact that their situation required an outsider like her to communicate left Li Yuzhu feeling a sense of lament.

"The Master is much better than yesterday." Li Yuzhu relayed Baili Huang’s status.

She also did not conceal the fact that someone had tampered with Baili Huang’s medicine.

After hearing this, Second Madam Baili suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Second Madam, take care of your health first; these matters can be addressed once you and the Master have fully recovered." Li Yuzhu advised her.

Although the Baili Mansion was only a third-rank official’s household, they held the power of a local tyrant.

The Envoy position was hereditary, overseeing military, governmental, and civil affairs. Being far from the Emperor, the Envoy’s word was law.

Not to mention that a third-rank position could incite envy, just the independence in handling military and civilian affairs provided ample opportunity for personal gain.

Li Yuzhu didn’t need to think too hard to guess that the family’s upheaval was likely related to something significant.

Second Madam Baili glanced at her, pressed her lips together tightly, and said nothing more.

Her eyes bore a somber light, reflecting her thoughts.

.

After Li Yuzhu discovered that Baili Huang’s medicine had been tampered with, she feigned that the decoction’s dosage was too strong and no longer suited Baili Huang’s current condition, and switched to prescribing Chinese patent medicine.

Initially, she prescribed decocting herbs for Baili Huang, not solely targeting the illness, but to see if there was any mischief.

And she was right.

Seeing her change the prescription, the older Chang Sui cast several glances at her.

.

Baili Rui’s parents, under Li Yuzhu’s meticulous treatment, showed significant improvement in just three days and were able to walk outside.

The wind and snow were also lighter that day, and the joyful Old Madam Baili brought Baili Rui and his siblings to visit their parents.

Though the couple lived in a large courtyard, they hadn’t seen each other in a month due to their illness, leading to an inevitable wave of emotion.

Despite not having fully recovered and still convalescing, the Old Madam Baili had someone prepare the consultation fee for Li Yuzhu in advance.

Since the next day was the Little New Year, it wouldn’t be proper to pay the consultation fee on the holiday.

Li Yuzhu received a heavy box and, upon opening it, widened her eyes in surprise.

True to the reputation of a local tyrant’s household, it contained five hundred liang of gold and a silver note worth a thousand liang.

Li Yuzhu repeatedly claimed the consultation fee was too much.

In treating Baili Rui’s parents, she hadn’t exerted much effort, only using some Detoxification Pills and antibiotics.

However, the Old Madam Baili said, "It’s not all consultation fees; some are for Xiao Rui’s expenses. Your family saved Xiao Rui and tirelessly brought him here from afar, for which our entire family is deeply grateful. A lifesaving grace is akin to a rebirth. We even feel awkward offering just this amount."

Both Second Madam Baili and Baili Huang urged Li Yuzhu to accept it.

Li Yuzhu had to accept it.

.

The next day was the Little New Year in the Northern Land, the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

The entire Baili family gathered in the mansion.

The eldest son’s family and the second son’s family sat on opposite sides, while the seats at the head were reserved for the two elders of the Baili family, their benefactor Mu Yuanxiu, Li Yuzhu, and Guoguo.

Additionally, there were a few tables set for the extended family of the Baili lineage.

Zhou Zhaodi and the Baili family’s stewards sat in a smaller hall next door.

Baili Huang was the youngest son in the family but the heir to the Baili estate and the current third-rank Envoy.

Having recovered from his serious illness, he couldn’t escape toasts and blessings from his family.

However, everyone knew he had fainted due to stomach pain, so those toasting did not insist on him drinking alcohol; he only drank stomach-soothing tea.

The First Madam Baili glanced at the lively toasting crowd and quietly nudged her husband, "Husband, stop eating and quickly toast the second brother."

At that moment, Baili Dalang Baili Ju was contending with a roasted deer leg.

Tonight’s roast deer leg was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the right seasonings. A bit of the rare cumin powder from the Western Regions turned it into a divine dish.

Baili Ju grumbled impatiently, "Second Brother can’t drink, so what’s the point of toasting if he can’t drink?"

He thought he might as well eat more in that time.

He loved deer leg meat, and so did his two sons.

The three of them were wolfing down the food.

Baili Ju feared that if he left, his sons would finish off the deer leg meat.

That would be a huge loss.

The First Madam Baili gave a cold glance towards Baili Huang and his wife, angrily pinching her husband, "Useless!"

As Li Yuzhu, sitting at the head, looked up, she happened to witness this scene.