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"Han Xiao".

"Yes, mistress, this servant is here." She had laughed enough and was starting to feel a little tired.

Are you dizzy?

"Hmm..." Han Xiao thought for a moment and nodded: "Now that you ask me, Master, I feel a little dizzy."

"Won't you feel disgusted?"

Han Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness is right, I do feel a little nauseous."

He took her pulse, and Han chuckled, "Your master can also take pulses." After being glared at, she shrank back and honestly confessed, "Your master, my eyes are feeling a bit blurry right now, and I also have a headache."

"You've been poisoned," Nie Chengyan announced. Upon hearing this, Lu Ying and Qin Jiao's expressions both changed. The young master's maid had been poisoned on Cloud Mist Mountain; this was no small matter.

Before they could panic, Han Xiao realized what had happened: "Master is right. I chewed that herb, Paris polyphylla. I was careful not to swallow it. I probably, maybe I accidentally swallowed a tiny bit." She even gestured with her fingers to show how much a tiny bit was.

Nie Chengyan waved to Lu Ying, signaling him to go to the pharmacy and get some antidote. Lu Ying understood and went to get it. Qin Jiao pushed the wheelchair, and Han Xiao held onto the chair armrests, slowly walking towards Yan Zhu.

"Master," Han Xiao called out, but Nie Chengyan ignored her. Han Xiao pouted, thinking to herself that her master was really petty. Usually, when he called her, she would respond loudly and quickly, no matter how bad her mood was. But now, she had only made a small mistake, and he was ignoring her.

"Master," she called again, but he still didn't respond. Han Xiao squeezed the armrest of the chair hard, pretending it was his arm.

"Walk properly. If you're so capable of running so energetically even after being poisoned, don't collapse before reaching Yanzhu." Nie Chengyan finally spoke, but his first words were a reprimand.

"This servant will not fall down. This servant is strong and healthy, and has great strength." Han Xiao gestured with her small arms and legs, and then continued, "Master, the antidote for the poison of the grass carp is to decoct five qian of licorice root in water, then mix it with two liang each of white rice vinegar and ginger juice. Gargle with half of it and take the other half internally, is that right?"

At this critical moment, she was still thinking about memorizing the medicine recipes and prescriptions, which made Nie Chengyan both amused and exasperated.

"If the poisoning is too severe and causes spasms, you can decoct black snake, scorpion, magnolia bark, and licorice root in water and take it orally, right?" Han Xiao continued to chatter on.

Nie Chengyan finally couldn't help but say, "Behave yourself, keep quiet and calm down."

"Master, don't worry, I can still run and push chairs, there's absolutely no problem."

She should have kept quiet, because her words only made him angrier. Now that she thought about it, she was really scared. She had been poisoned and still dared to push him down the slope. But before he could start cursing, she spoke again: "Master, I know what grass cartweed tastes like now. I've never eaten it before."

"Shut up."

"It's bitter, really bitter."

"Han Xiao".

"Yes, Master, this servant is here."

"Shut up."

"Yes, Master."

...

"Master, this color looks really good on you. Will you wear it again next time?"

"Keep quiet."

"Yes, Master."

...

“My lady, next time we won’t go to the slope. I know a grove with beautiful scenery. I’ll take you there next time.”

"Han Xiao".

"Yes, Master."

"Try saying that again."

"Yes, Master. Let's choose that forest then."

"..."

Girl, be strong

Han Xiao rarely got sick growing up. After her parents passed away, as the eldest daughter, she had to take care of her younger brother, so she had even less right to be sick and rest. Perhaps it was truly her resilient nature that made her so special. In the two years she had been away from home with Han Le, she had worked tirelessly, doing all sorts of dirty and tiring jobs, yet she hadn't even caught a cold or fever. This time, the poisoning from chewing that herb wasn't severe, but after taking the antidote, she still felt tired. Nie Chengyan took her pulse and said that she must have developed an illness from overwork and needed to rest properly.

"But these three months on the mountain have been the most relaxed and comfortable I've had in the past two years. I only need to take care of my master, I don't have to do any other work, and I don't have to carry Lele around. I eat well, sleep well, and I don't get cold or hot. How could I have fallen ill from overwork?" Han Xiao said, dizzy and confused after taking the medicine.

"Master, please save me! I can't afford to get sick!"

"Shut up and go rest. There's no such thing as being unable to get sick. If you're sick, you're sick."

"Master, I'm sick, so I can't carry the doctor's medicine box anymore. This is probably the only chance I'll ever have in my life to carry the doctor's medicine box, and I can't miss it." She stood unsteadily, but still lingered by his bedside, chattering away.

Nie Chengyan sighed. This girl had really been through a lot today; she'd become a chatterbox, talking non-stop. He saw that her eyes were glazed over, and her face was starting to flush, yet she still stood by his bedside, as anxious as a child about to lose something precious.

“You can only carry that medicine box in four days. If you get a good night’s sleep right away, you’ll get better quickly. If you keep torturing yourself, you won’t get better and you won’t be able to carry it.” Nie Chengyan persuaded through gritted teeth. He was only able to walk because of his leg injury; otherwise, he would have personally thrown her back onto her bed by now.

Han Xiao listened, stunned for a moment, unsure whether she understood or not. Then she swayed and walked to the small bed in the corner of the room, plopped down on it, pulled the quilt over herself, and muttered, "The medicine box is here. Master, please take it for me. I'll get up in a bit."

"Get up?" Nie Chengyan's face darkened. She was so weak, yet she still wanted to get up. Did she think that medicine box had wings and flew down from the sky, and he'd catch it for her? She must be out of her mind. Nie Chengyan ignored her, rang the bell to call Lu Ying in to serve him, and then went to bed early himself.

Unexpectedly, Han Xiao actually got up in the middle of the night. Nie Chengyan had been sleeping poorly since his injury, and Han Xiao's getting up woke him up. He opened his eyes, and in the dim light of the night, he could vaguely see Han Xiao making a lot of noise as she got up to get water. He knew she was probably still groggy, because when she was awake, she was always very quiet.

Then he heard her whisper, "Dad."

Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth in anger. Not only did she get up in the middle of the night to disturb him, but she was also causing trouble? He replied irritably on behalf of her father, "Go to sleep."

Han Xiao replied in a drowsy voice, "I'm asleep, Dad. I have some amazing news to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it." Nie Chengyan closed his eyes, wondering if this girl was dreaming about her father. Sure enough, no matter how clever and intelligent she was, she became a dull idiot when she was sick.

Han Xiao reached out in the darkness toward the direction of the voice: "Dad, listen, it's rare for your daughter to have good news these past few years." She touched a warm body and quickly snuggled up to it.

Nie Chengyan's face turned green: "Get out of here, go back to your bed and sleep. I'm not your father."

"Don't be angry, Father. I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore. Don't send me away, why are you sending me away? I finally got to see Father again." As Han Xiao spoke, tears streamed down her face, which startled Nie Chengyan. He had never imagined that this girl could cry. He moved his arm, intending to gently throw her off the bed. But Han Xiao, while crying, became even more energetic, hugging his arm tightly, wrapping her legs around him, and even kicking his injured ankle, making him gasp in pain.

Just as he was about to yell at her to wake her up and get out of the room, he heard her soft, nasal voice say, "Dad, how have you and Mom been these past few years?"

Nie Chengyan's heart tightened. His parents were gone too. He had never dreamed of seeing and chatting with his parents like this before. He couldn't even remember what they looked like anymore.

Han Xiao sniffed and asked again. Nie Chengyan sighed inwardly, and the scolding he was about to say turned into a sentence: "We're fine."

Han smiled and said, "That's good, that's good."

She lay quietly beside him, and he suddenly didn't want to drive her away anymore. He had lost his parents, lost Yun'er, he didn't like his grandfather, he didn't like this mountain, some people disliked him, some people tried to poison him, he could no longer leave, he suddenly felt very vulnerable, what did he have left?

"Father." The silly girl called out again, half asleep, as if the words were still in her mouth.

"Mmm." He was a fool too; he wasn't her father, yet he answered stupidly.

"My brother and I are doing well, so don't worry."

"good."

"father."

Nie Chengyan didn't want to agree anymore; he was really foolish.

"Dad." She moved closer, hugging his arm even tighter, her little face buried in his arm, just like a little child spoiling her father.

He sighed, "Hmm."

"Let me tell you, I'm so lucky. I met a very remarkable master. He's a great man. He built a city of medicine with many good doctors, just like the one I told you about when I was a child. You said I was dreaming, but it's not a dream. There really is a city of medicine."

Nie Chengyan smiled bitterly. Did this silly girl ever dream of having a city full of doctors when she was little? If she knew that what he did was not out of kindness, but just to spite his grandfather and make money and build up his power, would she still admire him so much?

She said a few more words, mumbling so he couldn't hear her. She slept for a while, and just when he thought it was finally quiet, she spoke again: "Dad, I'm so sleepy. I want to sleep."

This time, Nie Chengyan was determined not to answer, fearing that the more he answered, the more excited she would become. But instead of answering, she continued, "I'm really going to sleep. I'm going to sleep well. When I get up, I'll carry the divine doctor's medicine box."

Nie Chengyan closed his eyes and mentally urged, "Yes, go to sleep, the medicine box is waiting for you."

"Dad, I'm going to sleep." This time she really fell asleep. Nie Chengyan breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind was still disturbed by her. He thought about his parents, about Yun'er, about his supposedly remarkable medical city, and as he thought, he also became sleepy. Her small body pressed against him, he actually felt a sense of security. Before drifting off to sleep, he thought, tomorrow I need to check carefully to see if this girl's fever has subsided. I need to give her a strong dose of medicine, otherwise, when she's confused, she'll start mistaking him for her father, which is too annoying.

To Nie Chengyan's surprise, he slept soundly. He hadn't felt so peaceful in a long time. When he woke up, he remembered everything from the previous night, but Han Xiao was no longer beside him. The curtains on his bed were all lowered. He looked at the head of the bed; the purple bell was still there, indicating that she hadn't left. He pulled on the bed rail and struggled to sit up. He pushed aside the curtains and saw her carrying a basin of water in.

When she saw him, she seemed a little embarrassed in her smile: "Master, you're awake."

Nie Chengyan thought to himself: Thank goodness, she still knows to feel embarrassed about him randomly hugging someone and calling them "Dad." He replied casually, "Mm."

Han Xiao placed the basin of water beside the bed, pulled Wei Manquan up, and then helped Nie Chengyan wash his face and comb his hair. "Master, I feel better today."

Nie Chengyan looked at her carefully and saw that she was indeed much more energetic. He took her pulse and confirmed that she was fine. Han smiled and gestured with her arm: "I told you my body was good, as strong as an ox."

"That's true. He's as strong as an ox, as stupid as a chicken, but as brave as a bear," Nie Chengyan said, rinsing his mouth. Han Xiao wasn't angry at all and even praised, "Master has a good literary talent." This left Nie Chengyan speechless. So this was considered literary talent? Clearly, Han Xiao was making fun of him indirectly.

After giving him the medicine and breakfast, Han Xiao finally concluded that she had observed him clearly. Her master must have slept soundly last night and hadn't noticed her climbing into his bed. When she woke up this morning and found herself not in her own bed, she was startled. Her sweet dream of chatting happily with her father last night almost turned into a nightmare this morning. Fortunately, her master was sleeping like a log.

"Who are you calling a pig?"

"Huh?" Han Xiao was taken aback. Had she spoken out loud again? "This servant meant that this servant slept like a pig last night, sleeping soundly until dawn." She chuckled foolishly to brush it off, but Nie Chengyan coldly snorted: "It's good that you know." She would never know she was a pig.

It seemed her master wasn't going to investigate her embarrassing incident from last night, and Han Xiao was delighted. She quickly tidied the room, gave Nie Chengyan his usual massage and acupressure, and once everything was done, she asked, "Master, are you daydreaming or reading?"

"I'm spacing out, you're reading."

"Then can you just space out for a while, Master? I don't want to study right now."

Nie Chengyan raised his eyes, puzzled: "What are you going to do if you don't study?" In the past, she would study desperately if she wasn't allowed to, but now that she's allowed to, she's not doing it. Is she trying to defy her master or what?

Han Xiao looked down at her toes, fidgeted for a moment, and whispered, "This servant wants to take advantage of the good daylight to do some needlework to prepare for carrying the medicine box."

Nie Chengyan frowned. What did carrying a medicine box have to do with needlework? But half a day later, he understood. Han Xiao made two small cotton pads and placed them on her shoulders. Then, she borrowed an empty medicine box from somewhere, filled it with stones, making it incredibly heavy. Then she carried the box around the room, saying to Nie Chengyan, "Master, you see, even if the box is heavy, it won't chafe my shoulders. I'll practice carrying the medicine box well these next few days, so that the divine physician won't find it annoying."

She was really practicing; she carried it while wiping tables, folding clothes, serving tea and water, eating, and even reading medical books. At night, she was so tired she had to rub her shoulders, but the next day, she was carrying it again.

Nie Chengyan tried hard to recall if, besides Han Xiao, he had ever met anyone with such resilience. The answer was no, including himself.

Han Xiao is indeed a unique person!

First observation

January 30th was the last day of the Lunar New Year for Elder Yunwu to see patients, and also the first time Han Xiao would carry the divine physician's medicine chest. She was very much looking forward to this day, getting up before dawn. She dressed, prepared her shoulder pads, and tied a small cloth bag she had specially sewn to her waist, containing her ever-present charcoal pencil and booklet. The charcoal pencil was newly made, and the booklet was newly bound. With everything ready, she went outside and explained Nie Chengyan's needs for the day to Gan Song and Shi Zhu, who had just changed shifts guarding the courtyard. Then she returned to the house, only to find her master already awake, pulling himself up from the bed.

"Master, I'm ready to depart." She checked Nie Chengyan's needs for the day again and replaced the purple bell on his bedside table with a black one: "Gan Song and Shi Zhu will guard the courtyard this morning and night, and Lu Ying and Qin Jiao will guard it this afternoon."

Nie Chengyan nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Does Master need to use the restroom?"