Chapter 2: Rebirth and Renewal

Her sudden cry startled the girl trapped in the quilt. The dark, glistening eyes slowly turned a few times, sweeping over the ceiling, window frames, and the furnishings in the room, finally landing on Fang's figure. There was a mix of surprise and disbelief, as if she could hardly accept it. The pale lips moved slightly a few times, and after a moment of hesitation, she finally called out: "Mother?"

Liu Mama sent off Doctor Zhen, and upon entering, she saw the mother and daughter crying together. She hurriedly stepped forward to offer comfort and instructed Ba Xiu to bring a handkerchief for them to wipe their tears.

The girl trapped in the brocade and satin merely opened her eyes, her youthful face pale and devoid of any color, her gaze vacant and her pupils motionless, resembling a living corpse

Thank you, Doctor Zhen

The personal maid San Chun of the Fang family hurriedly brought the doctor over

Mr. Fang saw her laughing and crying, and her speech was even more muddled. In a moment of urgency, he said: "What nonsense are you talking? Quickly drink the medicine, otherwise it will cool down and the efficacy will diminish. After taking the medicine, have a good sleep, and Zhuang'er will be fine by tomorrow."

Old Madam Liu took a look at the tear and said: "It is indeed torn. This exquisite garment is not durable; it can easily be ripped with a slight tug. It would be fine for a lining, but using it on the outside is unnecessary. Why bother with such a beautiful pattern? If it had been replaced with sturdy, plain fine cotton, the young lady would have been held back immediately and would not have slipped into the pond."

Ba Xiu stood by and, seeing them cry, began to cry along with them, filling the room with the sound of weeping.

Oh, what is happening? The young lady has woken up; this is indeed a joyous occasion. Why are the two of you embracing and crying? Ba Xiu, you too, why are you not helping to persuade her and instead joining in the crying?

Zhuo'er, you may sleep now; Mother is right here and will not go anywhere

The snow blankets the earth, creating a vast expanse of white.

"Doctor Zhen, my daughter has fallen into the water and is unconscious. Just now, I touched her forehead and it felt slightly warm. Please take a look quickly." Mrs. Fang briefly described her daughter's condition in just a few words.

The Xiuge immediately fell into chaos; with a loud crash, a cup was knocked over by an unknown clumsy hand. Just then, Fang arrived at the scene and said, "What is all this commotion? Liu Momo, Qiqiao, and Biaoxiu stay behind; everyone else, go outside and wait at the door."

Doctor Zhen took the pulse and said: "Madam, do not worry. The young lady is not in danger of losing her life. She has only consumed some water, and with the cold weather, the cold evil has entered her body. Internal and external treatment is required, and she will need to be nourished with medicine for a while."

Qiqiao stepped forward and replied: "Earlier, the young lady saw that it had snowed heavily at night, and she insisted on going to the garden to build a snowman. The servants could not persuade her otherwise, so they had no choice but to let her go. Who would have thought that as she passed by the lotus pond, she slipped and fell; the snow on the ground had already turned to ice. Following that ice, the young lady slid into the lotus pond. The servants and the eight maidens reached out to pull her back, but they tore their sleeves in the process and still could not hold on."

Although this maid was only about eleven or twelve years old, her face showed some panic, yet her tone remained composed. She answered clearly and explained the situation at that time. She even took out the wet clothes that her young lady had changed out of and unfolded them to take a look. Indeed, the red embroidered garment was missing a sleeve.

In the three-entry courtyard, the servants came and went, some carrying hot water, some holding fire basins, and others standing at the door anxiously looking outside, murmuring in distress: "Why hasn't the doctor been summoned yet? Normally, it's acceptable for them to work slowly, but at this critical moment, how can they still afford to be slow?"

Fang was taken aback, and exclaimed, "Zhuo'er, you are awake. Where do you feel unwell? Tell your mother."

The girl wiped away her tears, suddenly breaking into a smile, her laughter mingled with tears, and she said: "Mother, Qiqiao, Baxi, Nurse Liu, and San Chun... Zhuang'er misses you all..."

As the maid shivered and was about to lower the curtain, she suddenly saw a group of people rushing in from outside. Upon closer inspection, it was a group of maids and wives surrounding a woman dressed elegantly and exuding an air of nobility. She quickly called out, "The lady has arrived"

Fang instructed San Chun to quickly send a servant outside to buy medicine, and then called for Liu Momo, saying: "You take Doctor Zhen to the accounting room to collect the consultation fee"

Mr. Fang hurriedly summoned San Chun to come in, prepared the writing materials, and asked Dr. Zhen to prescribe a remedy

In a moment, Doctor Zhen completed the prescription, which included some precious and rare medicinal ingredients. He then said: "Miss, being young and having been pampered for a long time, has caught a cold this time. Therefore, special care is needed during her recovery. The medicine must be taken for at least half a month to avoid leaving any lingering effects. I will return to the residence in half a month to check the pulse of the young lady. It is especially important to pay attention to this matter; she must not catch another cold, as it would make treatment much more difficult."

Fang took the medicine bowl, intending to personally feed his daughter the medicine

Zhuo'er wants to look at her mother

Doctor Zhen knew that this family was accustomed to being generous, so he immediately expressed his gratitude and followed Aunt Liu.

Immediately, three or four maidservants came out from the room, each standing guard at the door, leaving only a middle-aged maid and two young maidservants, around eleven or twelve years old, inside the room

Madam, the young lady is still unwell; do not provoke her tears

In the elegant pavilion, a maid lifted the curtain and glanced outside. Just as she caught a glimpse, she heard a voice from within scolding: "You wretched girl, why aren't you quickly putting that down? You're letting in the cold wind. If anything happens to the young lady, just wait and see if the madam won't beat you to death."

After a flurry of activity, I suddenly noticed that the blanket covering my daughter had slipped off her feet. I hurriedly stepped forward, carefully adjusting it. When I looked up, I was met with my daughter's two dark, lifeless eyes, staring blankly as if frozen, devoid of any glimmer of light

Fang gently caressed his daughter's small face, tears streaming down his cheeks

Mr. Fang entered the room, and only then did a look of anxiety appear on his face. He rushed straight to his daughter's bedside and exclaimed, "What is going on? Everything was fine, how did she fall into the water?"

The girl lay obediently, her dark eyes fixed on Fang's face, as if afraid that if she blinked, her mother would disappear. This sight made Fang feel both warm and heartbroken.

Before long, the medicine was brought back. Qi Qiao was clever and quick, hurrying outside to prepare the medicine. However, Fang Shi was not very reassured and wanted to personally supervise, yet she was reluctant to leave her daughter’s side. Therefore, she instructed San Chun to assist Qi Qiao in preparing the medicine. She also noticed that there were only two braziers in the room, and one of them was nearly out of charcoal, so she sent someone to bring in two more braziers.

Qiqiao responded with a sound, and after a while, brought in a large bag of dried apricots. She ran to the bedside, picked up a piece, and held it to the girl's mouth, saying: "Miss, have a sweet piece first, and then the medicine won't be bitter later."

The girl's delicate and weak voice, complemented by her pale little face, was particularly endearing, making Fang feel a surge of emotion that almost brought her to tears. At that moment, San Chun and Qi Qiao returned with the freshly brewed medicine.

Zhuo'er ... ... Zhuo'er ... ... my Zhuo'er, you have suffered ... ..." Upon hearing her call, Fang felt both joy and sorrow in her heart, and tears fell incessantly

What is the point of saying these things at this time? Zhuo'er is unconscious, why hasn't the doctor arrived yet

Ba Xiu, timid by nature, was so frightened by the lady's inquiry that he trembled all over, only able to cry and unable to utter a word

Mother ... ... Mother ... ... Zhuo'er misses you so much ... ... misses you so much ... ...

Qiqiao reacted quickly, immediately stepping forward to draw the curtain, and an old doctor with white eyebrows and beard entered.

The girl's gaze fell upon her face, hesitating again, she called out "Qiqiao." Seeing Qiqiao respond with a "Hi," she began to cry once more, reaching out to touch Qiqiao's face, saying: "Qiqiao, I am sorry for what I have done to you."

Qiqiao was left utterly bewildered by her words; her expression fell, and she began to cry, saying: "Miss, what is wrong? It is my fault; I did not catch you in time. If I had been a bit quicker, you would not have fallen into the water. I am truly sorry, Miss."

The girl was momentarily dazed, then suddenly reached out her hands from the blanket, wrapped them around Fang's neck, and burst into tears.

Fang only thought that his daughter had been scared silly from falling into the water, and he immediately embraced her, crying out loud: "Zhuo'er, speak to me, don't scare your mother..."

The girl softly responded and obediently drank the medicine, then took a piece of dried apricot that Qi Qiao handed over, before lying back down in bed pretending to sleep

Only then did Fang realize, hurriedly supporting his daughter to lie down comfortably, and firmly tucking in the blanket at her feet, he said: "Zhuo'er, do not cry, I will have someone fill in that lotus pond later, so it will no longer harm anyone"

Old Madam Liu knew that the young lady was most afraid of hardship, so she instructed Qiqiao beside her: "Hurry up, bring the candied fruits that the young lady usually loves to eat, and administer the medicine to her."

Upon hearing this, Fang immediately stood up and exclaimed, "Why don't you all step aside."

"Qiqiao, do not cry"

At that moment, a hurried voice came from outside: "Make way, make way, why is everyone crowding at the door? The doctor has arrived, quickly step aside..."