Chapter 238: Worry

Chapter 238: Worry

Wang Yue Academy.

After reading the letter from home, Yan Wenxiu was silent for a moment, then said to Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao, "Grandmother and the others are very worried about us."

Yan Wenkai quickly asked, "Does this mean they won’t let us go?"

Yan Wenxiu shook his head. "No, they didn't say that, but they did ask us to be extra cautious. Father also sent several of the family’s guards along with us."

Though their father didn't explicitly say it, Yan Wenxiu understood. Even though they would be accompanying the Young Prince and he would have his own guards, in case of danger, those guards would prioritize the Young Prince’s safety and might not be able to help them immediately.

In such cases, the best opportunity for rescue could be missed. Therefore, they couldn’t fully rely on the Young Prince’s protection.

When they went to Fenxi last time, their older brother Dong had brought many of their own people along.

Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao exchanged silent glances.

Although their father (or uncle) rarely joked with them at home, he was always concerned about them.

"Hey, what’s this?" Yan Wenkai pointed at the bundle Qin Yong was holding.

Qin Yong was leading this trip. Originally, Yan Zhigao had planned to send Qin Wu, but he had many tasks to take care of, so he sent Qin Yong instead.

Qin Yong set down the bundle. "This is the medicine prepared by the eldest young lady for the three of you. She also said that if the Young Prince or his entourage needs anything, we could share some of it with them."

Yan Wenkai flipped through it and smiled. "The little sister is so considerate. I hadn’t even thought about preparing medicine."

Yan Wenxiu smiled as well. Last time they went to Fenxi, they had prepared nothing. They had to rely on the Young Prince’s supplies during the journey.

This time, they had prepared, so they wouldn’t have to trouble the Young Prince.

"Let’s go, we should inform the Young Prince. I think we’ll be leaving in the next couple of days."

---

Yan Manor.

After the beginning of July, the rain stopped, but the heat only intensified.

The scorching weather made Daohua feel uneasy.

"What are you sighing about again?"

Zhou Jingwan entered Daohua’s courtyard with her maid. The heat was unbearable, making people restless. Only a couple of bites of watermelon and grapes could alleviate her discomfort.

She particularly loved the watermelon and grapes from Daohua’s garden.

Interestingly, although her family also grew watermelon and grapes, she felt they weren’t as good as those from Daohua’s.

Daohua, seeing Zhou Jingwan, smiled at Gu Yu. "Didn’t you see Miss Zhou coming? Hurry and get a watermelon to chill for her."

By the time Zhou Jingwan walked over, she shook Daohua’s arm. "You really know me."

Daohua, noticing the sweat on her forehead, shook her head. "In this heat, you’re still not lazy enough to stay inside. If you want some of my watermelon, take more back this time."

Zhou Jingwan waved a fan and said, "It’s good to get out and walk. Staying cooped up in the house is also uncomfortable. By the way, I saw you sighing just now. Were you worried about Big Brother Yan?"

Daohua nodded. "Big Brother and the others have been in Jiguang for over half a month already. I don’t know when they’ll return."

Zhou Jingwan seemed unconcerned and smiled. "They’ll come back when it’s time. When they wrote last, they said everything was fine after they arrived in Jiguang. What’s there to worry about?"

Daohua shook her head, glancing up at the blazing sun. "When the dike broke in Jiguang, many people drowned, didn’t they? With this heat, if the bodies weren’t properly dealt with, I’m worried about an outbreak of plague."

Zhou Jingwan froze for a moment, then stood up abruptly, her eyes wide as she exclaimed, "Plague?! Are you sure?"

Daohua immediately stood up and pulled her back to sit down. "Don’t shout so loudly! I was just making a guess!"

Zhou Jingwan let out a relieved sigh, but still felt uneasy as she patted her chest. "You scared me! If there’s a plague in Jiguang, our brothers…"

She stopped midway and quickly spat a few times, shaking her head. "No, no, it won’t happen. There won’t be a plague."

Daohua grabbed her hand and comforted her. "I was just saying that, look at how scared you are."

Zhou Jingwan sighed, "How can I not be scared? I’ve heard the elders in the mansion say that if a plague really breaks out in one place, it could wipe out entire cities."

Daohua felt a tightness in her chest and unconsciously swallowed. "You’ve made me scared too," she admitted.

At that moment, Gu Yu entered with a tray of sliced watermelon.

Daohua quickly tried to shift her focus. "Let’s eat some watermelon."

Zhou Jingwan nodded, wiped her face with a damp cloth that Li Xia had brought, then picked up the watermelon to eat.

The two girls ate quietly, neither speaking. Clearly, the earlier conversation had left them both uneasy, and their faces carried an expression of concern.

---

Jiguang Province, Xingyun Prefecture.

"Big Brother, are you okay?"

Yan Wenxiu, who was weak from severe diarrhea, looked pale as Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao anxiously approached.

The Young Prince had already sent a physician to check on them, and Yan Wenxiu had taken several doses of medicine, but unfortunately, nothing had worked.

Yan Wenxiu forced a smile and shook his head. "I’ve always focused on studying and never paid attention to my health. This trip has really made me realize just how important a good body is."

He wanted to continue his lament, but suddenly his stomach began to churn again. He gritted his teeth and, with the help of the young servant Qin Shisan, shakily walked toward the outhouse.

Seeing him like this, Yan Wenkai became frantic, clutching his head in distress.

Qin Yong furrowed his brow and said, "Third Master, Fourth Master, if this continues, he’ll be completely worn out."

Yan Wenkai snapped in frustration, "I know it’s bad, but the physician can’t do anything. What am I supposed to do?" He slammed his fist into his palm. "I should’ve dragged him out to exercise when we were younger. Look at him now, so weak."

Yan Wentao suddenly had an idea and ran back into the room. He returned quickly with a bundle and rushed to open it. "Let’s try the medicine our little sister prepared for us."

Yan Wenkai’s eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed again. "The medicine she prepared must be something from the pharmacy. How could it be more useful than what the physician prescribed?"

Yan Wentao ignored his brother’s words, opened the bundle, and found a porcelain bottle labeled ‘Diarrhea Medicine.’ "This should be the one for diarrhea. Once Big Brother comes out, we’ll give it to him."

With no other choice, Yan Wenkai reluctantly agreed, hoping that at worst, the medicine wouldn’t do harm, even if it didn’t help.

Soon, the outhouse door opened.

This time, Yan Wenxiu could barely stand. His face was ashen, and he was carried out by Qin Shisan.

Upon seeing him like this, Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao’s expressions changed immediately. They rushed over, one to administer the medicine, the other to give him water, forcing the medicine into his mouth without any protest.

---

(End of Chapter)