Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 17

Xiao Yanfei deftly used her mind to retrieve a bottle of ibuprofen from the emergency kit. She carefully pried out each pill, counting three before placing them into a small porcelain vial.

Beckoning Haitang over, she gave her a series of meticulous instructions.

Haitang nodded repeatedly, then tucked the small vial into her sleeve pouch and hurried out of Yuechu Pavilion.

She made her way to the inner courtyard’s kitchen with practiced ease.

The kitchen was always bustling, with servants from various quarters coming and going to collect meals. No one spared Haitang a second glance.

After exchanging a few words with a familiar scullery maid, she slipped away to the tea room on her own.

The kettle on the stove emitted a faint hissing sound as water boiled. Sitting on an old wooden chair was the kitchen steward, He momo, clutching her stomach and groaning in distress. Her round face was deathly pale, and her brows were furrowed so tightly that they formed a deep crease between her eyes.

A steaming cup of brown sugar ginger tea sat on the nearby tea table, its sweet and spicy aroma mingling with the swirling white mist that filled the tea room.

Haitang stepped closer and asked with concern, “He momo, is it that time of the month? Does your stomach hurt?”

He momo lifted her head sluggishly, casting Haitang a sidelong glance. She knew all too well that Haitang wouldn’t be this attentive without a reason.

“It’s an old ailment,” He momo muttered, unwilling to say more. Even her lips were pale.

Haitang reached into her sleeve pouch and pulled out the small porcelain vial Xiao Yanfei had given her, then handed it to He momo.

“He momo, our Second Miss heard that you weren’t feeling well and asked me to bring you this medicine.”

“This was given to our miss by a foreign physician when she was staying at the estate. It works wonders—just one pill, and you’ll feel much better.”

He momo hesitated, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.

Was the Second Miss trying to win her favor?

He momo accepted the porcelain vial with a hint of skepticism. She uncorked it and peered inside, finding a few small white pills.

Was this really medicine?

Or just lumps of flour or powdered alum pressed into shape?

As she pondered, a sudden wave of pain tore through her abdomen.

Before, it had felt like someone was pounding her stomach with heavy blows. But now—it was as if a knife was twisting and turning inside her, cutting through her insides. The agony was so unbearable that she nearly wished to pass out.

Her face turned even paler as her lips trembled violently, and tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.

“He momo, are you all right? The pain is getting worse, isn’t it?”

Haitang, quick to read the situation, poured a cup of warm tea—just the right temperature to drink—and handed it to her. “He momo, hurry and take the medicine.”

In just the span of a few breaths, He momo felt as if she had taken a trip to the gates of hell.

The searing pain left her unable to think clearly—her only desire was to find relief as quickly as possible.

She might as well give it a try. It’s not like it could be poison.

The Second Miss was as soft and timid as a cotton ball. Just because she had eaten a few days’ worth of vegetables and tofu didn’t mean she’d suddenly grow the guts to harm someone.

With a sense of reckless desperation, He momo clenched her teeth, shook a pill from the porcelain vial into her palm, and popped it into her mouth. Then, taking the warm tea Haitang offered, she swallowed it down.

With a soft gulp, the small pill slid down her throat.

“He momo, just hold on a little longer. The medicine will take effect within the time it takes to burn an incense stick,” Haitang said with a smile. “I’ll go pour you another cup of tea.”

He momo absentmindedly murmured a response.

After taking the pill, she began to regret it.

She had seen countless physicians and even a few shamans over the years, taken all kinds of medicine, yet nothing had ever cured this decades-old ailment. How could something so small—barely the size of a fingertip—make any difference?

Who knew where the Second Miss had gotten this so-called remedy? What if it didn’t work? Worse, what if it made things even more unbearable…?

Sipping the warm water Haitang had poured for her, He momo’s mind spun with unease.

Restless, she engaged in idle chatter with Haitang—one moment discussing the seasonal fruits, the next talking about the new dishes planned for the kitchen next month. Then the conversation drifted to the rising price of salt and how their monthly ration had been strictly limited…

He momo sighed helplessly. “Would you believe it? Lately, I haven’t even dared to let the kitchen make salted duck eggs—just to save a little salt… Huh?”

As she spoke, she suddenly straightened up, one hand clutching her stomach. Blinking in disbelief, she muttered, “The pain… it’s gone. My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore.”

She got up from her chair and paced back and forth in the tea room.

Her complexion visibly improved, as if she had just taken some miraculous elixir.

Not only was the pain gone—her hands had stopped trembling, the cold sweat had disappeared, and even the nausea had subsided. She felt as if she had come back to life.

“Haitang, it worked! I’m really better!” Overjoyed, He momo turned to her, then quickly reached for the small porcelain vial on the tea table.

Haitang smiled. “As long as it helps, that’s all that matters, He momo.”

“Our miss said this medicine will last at least three to four hours. If the pain returns, you can take another pill—but make sure to wait at least two hours between doses.”

“He momo, you must remember this.”

“I’ve got it,” He momo nodded fervently, clutching the porcelain vial as if it were a rare treasure.

Such a tiny pill… yet it had saved her.

It was nothing short of miraculous!

But there were only two pills left.

She hesitated, clearing her throat awkwardly, wanting to ask if Haitang could get more from the Second Miss. But before she could speak, a servant woman entered the tea room and said, “He momo, supper is ready.”

He momo followed the servant woman to inspect the prepared meal boxes.

Every meal sent from the inner kitchen had to pass her inspection before being delivered to the various courtyards. If anything went wrong, she would be the first to be held accountable.

She opened the first meal box. Inside were four dishes and a soup—rosewood-smoked goose breast, steamed mandarin fish, vinegar-braised cabbage, and braised eggplant, accompanied by a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup. Two small plates of delicate, refreshing cold dishes were set neatly to the side.

After a quick glance, she closed the lid and moved on to the second box. This one contained the same dishes, with an additional serving of steamed egg custard with dried scallops.

But when she opened the third box, her expression stiffened slightly.

Inside were just three dishes—blanched greens, wood ear mushroom and tofu soup, and cold-dressed cucumbers.

All vegetarian. Not a trace of meat.

The stark contrast between this meal and the lavish spreads in the first two boxes was impossible to ignore.

“This is for which courtyard?” He momo asked, though she already knew the answer. Her gaze flickered with guilt as she deliberately avoided looking at Haitang.

The servant woman answered honestly, “This is for the Second Miss.”

“How could you serve such dishes to the Second Miss?!” He momo scolded righteously. “Who gave you permission to do this?”

The servant stared at her, bewildered, wanting to say: Wasn’t this your order, He momo?

But before she could speak, He momo cut her off. “Well? What are you waiting for? Go and replace it—make it the same as… as the Eldest Miss’s portion.”

The Eldest Miss, Xiao Luanfei, was the legitimate eldest daughter, and naturally, her meals were the best among all the young ladies in the household.

Not wanting to cross He momo, the servant quickly murmured her assent and rushed off to prepare a new meal box for Xiao Yanfei.

This time, He momo personally handed the meal box to Haitang.

“If anything doesn’t suit the Second Miss’s taste, just let me know next time.”

Haitang later repeated this line to Xiao Yanfei in the same ingratiating tone as He momo while the young lady was having her meal.

“Knew it,” Xiao Yanfei remarked, picking up a piece of rosewood-smoked goose breast with her chopsticks and taking a bite. The tender, flavorful meat carried just the right balance of savory and sweet, whetting her appetite.

She closed her eyes in satisfaction.

The chefs in this marquis household were quite skilled. Compared to her past life of cafeteria food and takeout, she supposed time-traveling to ancient times had at least one perk.

Haitang ladled a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup and placed it beside her, then asked curiously, “Miss, how did you know?”

She had initially thought it was the Old Madam deliberately making things difficult for the Second Miss, but as it turned out, the kitchen had made this decision on its own.

After swallowing the goose meat, Xiao Yanfei took her time sipping the soup before finally speaking. “No matter how dissatisfied the Old Madam is, she wouldn’t go out of her way to torment me over such trivial matters.”

If the Old Madam truly wanted to make things difficult for her, there were far more effective methods. She wouldn’t bother with something so petty and underhanded.

“Vegetables and tofu… This is just someone taking advantage of the situation, kicking me while I’m down.”

That single remark—inauspicious—had been enough for the servants to assume she had fallen out of favor with the Old Madam. Seeing an opportunity, they secretly cut back on her meal portions, thinking she wouldn’t dare complain to the Old Madam or the Madam.

It was a small matter, one she had no intention of making a fuss over. She could handle it herself.

People, as they aged, all had their share of aches and ailments.

And in this era, most relied on endurance rather than treatment. The senior housekeepers, most of whom were over forty, had undoubtedly accumulated their own share of lingering health issues over the years.

A little kindness here and there, and not only would they stop making things difficult for her, but in time, they might even come to rely on her instead.

Haitang suddenly saw the light after Xiao Yanfei’s explanation. “Miss, you’re so clever!”

Ever since the incident with Sun momo, it was as if their young mistress had suddenly matured, as if she had been enlightened by some celestial being.

How wonderful!

Xiao Yanfei dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief before adding, “Go find out more about Tao momo, Chu momo, and Zou momo…”

And just like that, life became much easier for Xiao Yanfei in the days that followed.

The kitchen now sent her three meals a day, plus a midnight snack, all matching the portions given to Xiao Luanfei. The dishes were well-balanced with meat and vegetables, and every so often, an extra side dish was included.

Tao momo from the sewing room personally oversaw the fitting of her summer wardrobe for the next season and even generously gifted her handkerchiefs, fabric scraps, and sewing supplies.

At the laundry house, the servants made sure that any clothing sent from Moonrise Pavilion was washed, dried, and scented on the same day, ensuring that freshly laundered garments were delivered back to her first thing the next morning.

All these little changes, of course, did not escape the notice of Marchioness Yin.

Smiling, she turned to Zhao momo and remarked, “That girl Yanfei has become much livelier. It seems a young lady really does need to step outside more often.”

She had originally planned to summon He momo for a reprimand, but to her surprise, Xiao Yanfei had handled the matter effortlessly on her own.

“You’re absolutely right, Madam,” Zhao momo agreed as she gently massaged Madam Yin’s shoulders, feeling a quiet admiration for her mistress. Even after all these years, the marchioness remained as kind-hearted as she had been in her youth.

Madam Yin had just spent some time reviewing the household accounts, and her shoulders ached with tension. Tilting her head slightly, she motioned for Zhao momo to knead the other side.

As she gazed up at the dark wooden beams of the ceiling, she let out a sigh. “A person’s world is only as big as their vision allows. If one spends every day confined within these walls, seeing nothing but the same four corners of the sky, it’s only natural to grow attached to the familiar voices around them.”

“But the moment they step outside, they realize just how vast the world truly is…”

A wistful smile touched her lips as if she were reminiscing about something long past.

She had once dreamed of traveling across the vast lands, witnessing the diverse customs and traditions of different regions.

But alas…

Zhao momo, who had nursed Madam Yin since infancy and watched her grow up, felt a deep pang of sympathy. She sighed inwardly—her mistress had endured so much. Trapped within the inner court of the marquis’s estate for years, outsiders only saw the prestige and splendor of her position as Marchioness. How could they possibly understand the hardships she had faced?

The Old Madam, the Marquis, and Concubine Cui—none of them were easy to deal with.

After some thought, Zhao momo hesitated but ultimately voiced a reminder: “Madam, the Old Madam has her own opinions about Second Young Lady’s affairs. If I may offer my advice, it would be best for you not to interfere in matters that do not concern you.”

Madam Yin’s gaze darkened slightly.

This morning, when she went to pay her respects to the Old Madam, she happened to run into Concubine Cui.

Before she even stepped through the door, she overheard their conversation. Concubine Cui and the Old Madam were chatting idly, discussing how, on the first day of the month, the Old Madam had taken the marquis estate’s ladies to Xiangjue Temple to offer incense. There, they had unexpectedly encountered a noble from the palace.

Concubine Cui mentioned that the noble had praised the Second Young Lady’s beauty.

Even Shi momo had laughed and remarked that one would be hard-pressed to find a girl in the entire capital more beautiful than the Second Young Lady—no wonder she had caught the noble’s eye.

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