Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character - Chapter 17
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- Chapter 17 - A Little Kindness
Chapter 17: A Little Kindness
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Xiao Yanfei skillfully used her mind to retrieve ibuprofen from the first-aid kit, took out the pills one by one, counted three of them, and placed them in a small porcelain bottle.
She beckoned to Hai Tang and gave her detailed instructions.
Hai Tang nodded repeatedly and concealed the small porcelain bottle in her sleeve pocket before quickly leaving Moonrise Pavilion.
She made her way to the inner courtyard kitchen with familiarity.
The kitchen was always bustling, with servants from various rooms coming here to collect their meals, coming and going without paying much attention to Hai Tang.
Hai Tang asked a familiar maidservant and then proceeded alone to the tea room.
The kettle on the stove made a faint sound of boiling water. The manager of the kitchen, Madam He from the He family, was sitting on an old chair, holding her stomach, sighing. Her round face was deathly pale, and her eyebrows were furrowed like the character “?.”
On the tea table nearby, there was a cup of steaming hot ginger tea, filling the tea room with a sweet fragrance.
Hai Tang approached and asked with concern, “Mama He, is it that time of the month for you, and you’re not feeling well?”
Mama He raised her head and cast a half-hearted glance at her. She knew very well that Hai Tang was approaching with a purpose.
“My old ailment,” Mama He said with a reluctance to speak, her lips even turning pale.
Hai Tang took the small porcelain bottle that Xiao Yanfei had given her from her sleeve pocket and handed it to Mama He. “Our Second Miss heard that Mama wasn’t feeling well and asked me to bring this medicine for you. It’s a special medicine given to Miss by a foreign doctor when she was at the manor. It’s very effective, and once you take one pill, you’ll feel much better.”
Mama He hesitated for a moment, her eyes shifting.
Was the Second Miss trying to make amends?
Mama He cautiously accepted the porcelain bottle, opened it, and saw several white pills inside.
Was this really medicine?
Or could it be dough balls or alum powder kneaded into pills?
As Mama He pondered, the discomfort in her abdomen suddenly intensified.
Originally, it was painful, as if her stomach was being heavily pounded, but now, it’s like there’s a knife twisting and turning inside her stomach, causing her so much pain that she wishes she could just pass out.
Her complexion grew even paler, her lips trembled intensely a couple of times, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“Mama, are you okay? Is it hurting again?” Hai Tang carefully observed and went to pour a cup of lukewarm tea that just happened to be easy to drink for Mrs. He. “Mama He, please take your medicine quickly.”
In just a few breaths, the He family felt as if she had walked through the gates of death.
The severe pain made it impossible for her to think calmly; she just wanted to find relief quickly.
Give it a try, the pills shouldn’t be poisonous.
With Second Miss’s gentle and timid nature, after eating simple meals for a few days, she wouldn’t have the courage to harm anyone.
Mama He, in a state of desperation, bit her lip, poured out a pill from a small porcelain bottle, and swallowed it, then took the lukewarm tea that Hai Tang handed her.
With a “gulp,” the small pill went down her throat.
“Mama, just endure a bit more; this medicine will take effect in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn,” Hai Tang said with a smile. “I’ll go pour you another cup of tea.”
Mama He absentmindedly responded with a “hm.”
After taking the medicine, she began to have some regrets.
She had seen several doctors and fortune tellers before and taken various medications, but none of them could cure her ailment of over twenty years. What use could this tiny pill, no bigger than a fingertip, possibly have?
She didn’t know where Second Miss had obtained this remedy. What if it not only didn’t work but made things worse…
Mama He drank the lukewarm water Hai Tang had poured for her, lost in her thoughts.
She felt anxious in her heart as she chatted with Hai Tang in a casual manner. They discussed seasonal fruits for a while, talked about the new dishes in the kitchen for the next month, and even mentioned how expensive salt had become. Salt is rationed tightly each month.
Helplessly, Mama He sighed, “Recently, I don’t even dare to have the kitchen make salted duck eggs just to use less salt… Oh?”
As she spoke, Mama He suddenly sat up straight, her hand on her stomach. She blinked in disbelief. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. My stomach doesn’t hurt.”
She stood up from her chair, pacing back and forth in the tea room.
Her complexion visibly improved, as if she had taken some miraculous elixir.
Not only did her stomach stop hurting, but her hands no longer trembled, she didn’t break into a cold sweat, and she didn’t feel nauseous. She felt as if she had come back to life.
“Hai Tang, it’s better. I really am better. This is a miraculous elixir.” Mama He looked at Hai Tang in delight and hurriedly reached for the small porcelain bottle on the coffee table.
Hai Tang smiled, “As long as it works for you, Mama He.”
“Our Miss said this medicine should work for at least three or four hours. If it hurts again later, Miss can take another pill, but it should be at least two hours apart.”
“Mama He, remember that.”
“I’ve remembered it.” Mama He nodded like she was pounding garlic, carefully holding the porcelain bottle in her hand, as if it were some precious treasure.
This small pill had actually saved her life.
It was truly miraculous!
But unfortunately, there were only two pills left.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, wanting to ask Hai Tang if she could get more medicine from the Second Miss next time. Before she could speak, a maid entered the tea room and said to the woman from the He family, “Mama He, dinner is ready.”
Mama He followed the maid to see the prepared food boxes.
The food boxes sent from the inner kitchen had to be inspected by the He family before being delivered to the various rooms and courtyards. In case there were any issues, the first person to be held accountable would naturally be the steward mother.
Mama He first opened the first food box, which contained four dishes and a soup: red-bean goose, steamed osmanthus fish, vinegar-glazed cabbage, eggplant and octopus, and a bowl of mushroom chicken soup. There were also two small dishes of clean and beautiful cold dishes on the side.
She looked at it, then closed the lid and opened the second food box, which had an additional steamed egg with dried scallops in a small cup.
When the third food box was opened, He’s expression instantly became somewhat unnatural.
Inside, there were three vegetarian dishes: blanched greens, wood ear and tofu soup, and a plate of cold cucumber salad. These three vegetarian dishes were all clean and free from any meat, forming a stark contrast with the previous two food boxes.
“Which courtyard is this for?” Mama He asked knowingly, her eyes avoiding Hai Tang.
The old woman answered truthfully, “This is for the Second Miss.”
“How can you serve such dishes to the Second Miss?!” Mama He reprimanded indignantly. “Who allowed you to do this?”
The old woman looked at Mama He, completely bewildered, thinking, “Isn’t this what Mama He wanted?”
Without giving the old woman a chance to speak, Mama He quickly added, “Go and change it. Make it the same as the one for the eldest Miss.”
The eldest Miss, Xiao Luanfei, was the legitimate eldest daughter, so naturally, the food for her was the best among all the young ladies in the mansion.
The old woman didn’t dare to offend Mama He, so she nodded in agreement and quickly went to get a new food box for Xiao Yanfei.
This food box was personally handed to Hai Tang by Mama He.
“If there’s anything that doesn’t suit the Second Miss’s taste, feel free to tell me next time.”
Hai Tang deliberately imitated the fawning tone of Mama He as she repeated these words to Xiao Yanfei who was eating.
“I had a hunch,” Xiao Yanfei said, picking up a piece of marinated rose goose with her chopsticks and savoring its tender, flavorful, and appetizing taste.
She closed her eyes in satisfaction.
The culinary skills of the Marquis’s household cook were excellent. Recalling the days when she used to eat in the canteen or order takeout, she felt that coming to ancient times had given her a bit of a luxury.
Hai Tang served a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup to Xiao Yanfei, asking curiously, “Miss, how did you know?”
She had initially thought it was Grand Madam who was intentionally making things difficult for the Second Miss, but it turned out to be an unauthorized action by the kitchen.
After swallowing a bite of goose meat, Xiao Yanfei took a few sips of the soup before saying, “No matter how dissatisfied Grand Madam is, she wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters.”
If Grand Madam really wanted to make things difficult for her, there were other ways to do it, no need for these underhanded tactics.
“Green vegetables and tofu… some people just like to find fault with others.”
That mention of “bad luck” made the servants in the mansion think that she had earned Grand Madam‘s displeasure, so they secretly withheld some of her share, believing that she would have to suffer in silence and wouldn’t dare to complain to Grand Madam or the Madam Yin.
This was just a small matter, and Xiao Yanfei felt that there was no need to ask for help. She could handle it on her own.
But as people age, they all develop their own health issues little by little.
Especially these people from ancient times, most of their ailments had to be endured and managed. The household managers and mothers in the inner courtyard were mostly over forty, and the roots of their past illnesses would certainly not be few.
Just a little kindness and help, and the other party would naturally not make things difficult for her, and might even have requests in the future.
Hai Tang, after Xiao Yanfei’s guidance, suddenly realized, “Miss is really clever!”
After Mama Sun’s incident, it seemed like Miss had grown up considerably in an instant, as if she had received guidance from a deity.
How wonderful!
Xiao Yanfei used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth and then said, “Go inquire about Mama Tao, Mama Chu, Mama Zou…”
And so, Xiao Yanfei’s days improved significantly.
The kitchen sent her three meals a day and even a late-night snack, all in quantities matching those of Xiao Luanfei, with a variety of dishes and occasional side dishes.
Mama Tao from the needlework room personally brought someone to fit Xiao Yanfei for the summer clothes of the next season, and even warmly gave her some handkerchiefs, fabric, and sewing materials.
The laundry room always promptly washed and dried the clothes from Moonrise Pavilion, returning them the next morning…
All these various matters didn’t escape the notice of Madam Yin.
Madam Yin smiled and said to the Mama Zhao, “Yanfei has become quite lively; it seems that young girls really need to get out more.”
She had originally planned to call Mama He to give her a few words, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yanfei handled it herself with ease.
“You’re absolutely right, Madam,” Mama Zhao massaged Madam Yin’s shoulders. She couldn’t help but appreciate how kind and caring Madam Yin still was, just like in their younger days.
Madam Yin had been looking at account books for a while, and her shoulders were feeling stiff and sore. She raised her head slightly and gestured for Mama Zhao to massage the other side.
Looking up at the darkened ceiling, Madam Yin sighed, “People really need to broaden their horizons. If you stay cooped up in the estate all day, your view is limited to the four walls, and you’ll listen to whoever gets close to you.”
“But as soon as you step outside, you’ll realize how vast the world is…”
Saying this, a nostalgic smile appeared on Madam Yin’s face.
She used to dream of traveling far and wide, seeing different customs and landscapes. It’s a pity…
Madam Zhao was Madam Yin’s nanny and had watched her grow up. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She sighed inwardly, “Madam has had it tough. These years, she’s been stuck in the Hou Mansion, and outsiders only see her as the glamorous Madam Hou. They have no idea of her hardships!”
Grand Madam, Marquis, and Concubine Cui were all not easy to deal with.
After some thought, Mama Zhao reminded her, “Madam, Second Miss’s affairs are for Grand Madam to decide. I think it’s best for you not to get involved in these trivial matters.”
Madam Yin’s gaze grew heavy.
This morning, when she went to Grand Madam for the morning and evening check-in, Concubine Cui was also present.
Before she even stepped into the room, she overheard Concubine Cui and Grand Madam chatting, discussing the day when Grand Madam took the female members of the Hou family to Huangjue Temple for prayers. They talked about their chance encounter with a palace nobleman and her praise for the beauty of the Hou family’s Second Miss.
Concubine Shi even said that among all the young ladies in the capital, none could match Second Miss’s beauty. It’s no wonder the palace nobleman was so impressed.
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Translated By: Allthingsfluff