I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel

Chapter 100: Chapter 97: Carrying the Feverish

When Aunt Jiao and her husband came with Jiao Can, the Jiang family was busy salvaging items from the rubble.

The third sister was crying, her face wet with either rain or tears. Her treasured sewing machine was buried in dirt and washed by rain, now pitifully being dug out by the whole family with their bare hands.

"Sigh! Jiang Mingyue really wanted to say to leave these behind and she would buy new ones for them, but was afraid this suggestion would earn her a death glare.

"Third sister, you all don’t need to move, I can do it alone."

As she spoke, Jiang Mingyue lifted up the sewing machine... step by step, she walked through the accumulated water, delivering it under her eldest cousin’s eaves. She left it outside for now, where it wouldn’t get rained on. Once the sky clears, they could take it out to dry and prevent rust.

The other little odds and ends were picked up one by one. The fourth aunt also came over, with Xiao Hui guarding downstream to catch washed-away clothes and dishwashing basins. After a lot of busy work, they almost recovered all household items.

Once everything was gathered, Mrs. Jiang went through it again to make sure nothing was missed, only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jiao Yunyan and Liang Yan Yan, luckily your families came to help me, otherwise... sigh! What is all this?"

Aunt Jiao and Liang Yan Yan didn’t know how to comfort her.

The house is a place to settle down, the root of one’s being. They work hard for what? Ultimately, isn’t it for a place to shield them from wind and rain? When something so important is destroyed, they truly don’t know how to console, it seems no words are adequate.

"The rain doesn’t seem like it will stop for a while, you should go back soon. There’s nothing urgent here now, but thank you for coming all this way."

Aunt Jiao and the fourth aunt thought it over and since there was no immediate need for help, they too left.

"Mom, don’t be angry. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the city to find the manager my eldest cousin works for. I saved his life, I’ll ask him to lend us some money to build a house."

The youngest daughter’s words, though unrealistic, still offered her some comfort.

"Yueyue, we saved people out of kindness, how can we demand repayment? This damages human relationships."

Sigh!

"Alright, I won’t go then. I’ll think of another way. Anyway, when the weather clears, we’ll start building."

"Ah, you silly girl."

For her daughter’s naïve ideas, Mrs. Jiang suppressed her grief and disappointment, encouraging her children to go to sleep.

The eldest brother and second brother arranged to sleep with their children in Xiao Ran’s room, the third sister would share a room with Mrs. Jiang for now, as she was really worried about her. Jiang Mingyue would stay in her own room.

It was the first time she stayed in the room her eldest cousin left for her until now.

This arrangement pleased Jiang Mingyue.

Part of her was worried about Mrs. Jiang and part was worried about the person inside.

Logically, one should be able to feel the situation outside from within the space.

Given Yan Jinzhi’s concern for Mrs. Jiang, it didn’t make sense he could remain seated, unless his parasitic condition was different? Inside, it’s always calm and quiet, unable to hear or see outside developments?

Regardless, she needed to see for herself to feel assured.

With the door closed, Jiang Mingyue immediately entered the space.

The resting room was at the far west, with a cluster of verdant bamboo next to it, visible through the window of his room.

Jiang Mingyue didn’t knock on the door, instead, she tapped on the window since it was closer to the bed. He should be asleep now, should she wake him or not?

But after waiting for a long time, Jiang Mingyue only felt emptiness.

Sleeping so soundly? Hopefully, nothing’s wrong!

Jiang Mingyue felt anxious; the person’s injuries had been tended by her. As soon as she closed her eyes, those glaring reds would flash before her, leaving her breathless again.

In resolve, she pushed open the door.

"Eh?"

No one was there. Could he still be in the hot spring?

Jiang Mingyue admitted, she was panicked! She even suspected those miracle medicines might not be effective on him. If those bandaged wounds hadn’t healed and he went to soak in the hot spring, perhaps...?

The doors of the hot spring courtyard were tightly shut; per their agreement, that meant he was bathing inside.

Should she go in?

Jiang Mingyue paced restlessly by the wall corner.

"If I go in, will I get thrown out?"

"If I don’t, would he faint in there with no one to tend to him? And if he sinks into the water while unconscious?" Jiang Mingyue couldn’t think any further. Eyes closed and breath held, she charged in.

"Yan Jinzhi, are you in there?"

The small courtyard couldn’t be expected to echo, but the lack of response was unsettling.

"Yan Jinzhi, where are you? If you don’t speak, I’m going to look. Don’t blame me later."

Jiang Mingyue didn’t get a reply. Nervous, she looked around anxiously, finally spotting the person she was searching for behind the bamboo.

Jiang Mingyue relaxed, yet tension arose once more.

"Yan Jinzhi, what happened?"

Approaching, she found him indeed unconscious. His usually fair and handsome face was flushed pink like peach blossoms. Jiang Mingyue, alarmed, touched his forehead – he was indeed feverish. She promptly covered him with clothes and carried him to the resting room. Measuring his temperature, it was 40.5 degrees – dangerously high for an adult.

Jiang Mingyue hurried back to the pharmacy, grabbing antipyretics, then returned. She forced the medicine into his mouth by holding his jaw open, then gave him water.

Looking at his still furrowed brows and shut eyes, Jiang Mingyue felt an inexplicable familiarity, a resemblance to something deeply ingrained, yet she had no relevant memory despite her excellent recall.

Again and again, Jiang Mingyue shook her head. Ever since meeting him, she felt she’d been living in a surreal second world, so peculiar.

After administering the medicine, she reapplied ointment on his wounds. While it was top-grade, calling it miracle medicine was an exaggeration; healing takes time. After his soak, some wounds had reopened, pallid and dreadful from water exposure. Jiang Mingyue sighed, applied the salve thickly, bandaged him, and didn’t bother dressing him again. Covering him with a blanket, she thought, knowing there stood such a perfectly proportioned body, she too felt pained. Out of sight, out of mind.

Jiang Mingyue didn’t stay beside him, yet couldn’t bear to leave entirely. Once the door was closed, she went to gather her fruits. All the fruits stored, they formed a picturesque Huaguo Mountain, dazzlingly splendid.

She tried making strawberry jam, its sweet and sour taste immensely pleasing her palate. Grabbing a bun to dip and eat, the taste couldn’t be more delightful.

Right, she could make wine too. She wasn’t sure about others, but her eldest cousin was extremely fond of wine. He wasn’t just about the price, as long as it was good wine, he’d acquire it. In his past life, his wine cellar spanned fifteen acres, with the upstairs holding a variety of glassware for serving, even hiring a master ceramicist at high cost to design and craft for him.

But, she didn’t have any jars for storing wine, which wine lovers know is essential. However, this seemed simple; she simply needed to inquire with Mrs. Jiang.

After toying with jam and thinking about wine, she remembered her peaches were yellow, perfect for canning. Plus, one of Mrs. Jiang’s cakes requires apple jam for filling. If it proves popular, she could reserve the apple jam for Mrs. Jiang’s recipes.

While Jiang Mingyue envisioned a bright future for her fruits, Yan Jinzhi finally woke up.