Chapter 59
Chapter 59
After the fright she had suffered, Jin Bao slept restlessly in Pei Wanqing’s arms.
In the latter half of the night, her whole body grew scorching hot. She had developed a fever.
Terrified, Pei Wanqing hurriedly woke Lu Shuangshuang beside her.
“Shuangshuang, wake up. Please look at Jin Bao. She has a fever, and her whole body feels like burning charcoal.”
Everyone among the women except Xiao Jingyu woke at the commotion.
“What happened? Was she frightened by the people of the Blackstone Tribe during the day?”
Old Madam Xiao put on her outer robe and came closer to look.
Nanny Chen quickly went to pour water.
“The Young Miss must have been badly frightened. Every one of those men is huge and fierce. Even this old servant’s heart trembled at the sight of them, much less a three-year-old child taken away alone. Children often develop high fevers after a shock. Madam, with Madam Lu here, you mustn’t worry yourself sick.”
Nanny Chen had helped Pei Wanqing care for Jin Bao all along the road, and the girl had never fallen ill. This was the first time she had been so seriously sick.
Pei Wanqing carefully wiped Jin Bao’s forehead.
Only after a long while did Lu Shuangshuang release the child’s wrist.
“Madam, the Young Miss was indeed frightened. But the Blackstone Tribe took all our belongings. To bring down her fever, we’ll have to ask for them back. I have medicinal herbs in my bundle.”
Pei Wanqing handed the towel to Nanny Chen.
“Nanny, keep cooling Jin Bao down. I’ll go find Mo’er.”
Nanny Chen grabbed her arm.
“Madam, let this old servant go.”
Pei Wanqing looked exhausted but remained strikingly beautiful. Remembering how the men of the Blackstone Tribe had stared at her mistress, Nanny Chen could not possibly feel at ease letting her go out.
Pei Wanqing did not argue. She did not want to leave Jin Bao for even a moment, but she repeatedly warned Nanny Chen to be careful.
The bailiffs and the Xiao Family’s men occupied the neighboring tent, though guards stood outside both.
After the previous assassination attempt, Tie He was taking no chances. He had doubled the guards and added herding dogs.
The moment Nanny Chen emerged, the guards stopped her. A dog half as tall as she was barked furiously, nearly making her heart leap from her chest.
Nanny Chen did not speak the tribal language, and the guards did not speak the language of the Central Plains. Both sides could only gesture with their hands.
The disturbance was loud enough to wake Xiao Che next door.
He nudged Xiao Jingmo awake.
“Mo’er, listen. Is someone arguing next door?”
The moment Xiao Jingmo heard trouble, all sleep vanished. He hurriedly threw on his clothes and rose.
Of everyone in the Xiao Family’s group, only Xiao Jingmo spoke the tribal language. He had studied it under the Minister of State Ceremonial while living in the Capital.
“Nanny, what happened?”
After dressing in haste and briefly speaking with the guards, Xiao Jingmo entered the neighboring felt tent.
“Second Young Master, the Young Miss has a high fever. Madam Lu needs fever medicine, but those people took everything we had. Madam sent this old servant to ask the Second Young Master for help.”
Xiao Jingmo drew a deep breath. The thing he had feared had still happened.
He remembered how his Third Brother had nearly died from a high fever after being frightened as a child.
Jin Bao was only three, more delicate than his Third Brother had been then, and their present conditions were far worse than anything at the Marquis’s Mansion.
Xiao Jingmo forced himself to remain calm.
“Nanny, go back and help care for Little Sister. I’ll find Tie He now.”
He turned and strode away.
The moon hung high overhead. Only the moan of the night wind and the crackle of burning torches disturbed the sleeping tribe.
“Chieftain Tie He, Xiao Jingmo requests an urgent audience.”
Standing outside Tie He’s felt tent with his head lowered, Xiao Jingmo spoke loudly enough for his voice to pass through the thick walls and wake the man inside.
Tie He soon emerged.
“What is it?”
He had tossed and turned for half the night and only just fallen asleep.
“Chieftain, my sister has a high fever that will not break. Please help us. There are fever-reducing herbs among our luggage. I ask that you return them.”
Tie He yawned and beckoned to someone.
“Come here. Take him to collect the medicine.”
Since they had already agreed to cooperate, Tie He was generous enough not to make things difficult for Xiao Jingmo.
Xiao Jingmo quickly retrieved the herbs and gave them to Lu Shuangshuang. Unable to sleep, he stayed to help look after Jin Bao.
But once the medicine was ready, getting her to drink it proved nearly impossible.
Jin Bao clenched her two rows of tiny teeth. No matter how Pei Wanqing tried to pour in the medicine, it did no good. Not a single drop entered her mouth. Sweat covered Pei Wanqing’s forehead and soaked through her clothes.
“What do we do? We can’t get any medicine into her.”
They took turns trying, but not one succeeded. Half the bowl was spilled, and still Jin Bao swallowed none.
After half a night of frantic effort, her temperature rose instead of falling.
The heat was beyond anything a human body should endure. Even Lu Shuangshuang had no idea what to do.
“The Young Miss’s illness doesn’t seem to be entirely caused by fright. Her temperature is already higher than the highest fever recorded in any medical text. If it continues, she may never wake again.”
Lu Shuangshuang made an immediate decision and stripped off all Jin Bao’s clothes.
Xiao Jingmo had someone bring half a barrel of cold water.
Lu Shuangshuang lifted Jin Bao and lowered her directly into it.
The girl’s thin body lay limply against the side of the barrel.
Beneath her normally pale skin, her veins suddenly bulged into clear relief, glowing an unnatural purple.
At the same time, pale white mist began rising from the cool water, wrapping Jin Bao’s whole body.
“Aunt Lu, something’s wrong. Little Sister…”
An indescribable unease filled Xiao Jingmo.
Lu Shuangshuang searched through every case she had ever seen and every illness she had read about. Nothing resembled this.
“Bloodletting, Shuangshuang. Could you bleed her?”
Pei Wanqing had heard that releasing a little blood from the fingertips could sometimes reduce a high fever.
They had no other solution. They could only try.
Just as Lu Shuangshuang prepared to do it, Jin Bao suddenly convulsed.
“Mommy, Baby hurts. Baby feels awful. Mommy, hug Baby.”
The tears Pei Wanqing had been holding back poured out.
“My good girl, Mommy’s here. Don’t be afraid, good girl. Mommy will hold you.”
She dropped to her knees and wrapped both arms around Jin Bao.
But Jin Bao was naked and slick with water, and the agonizing spasms made her twist and roll constantly.
Pei Wanqing could not lift her.
“Ah! It hurts!”
Jin Bao’s piercing scream drained every face of color.
“What’s happening to Jin Bao?”
Xiao Che had been pacing outside. As the commotion grew louder, he finally could not restrain himself and strode in, only to freeze at the sight before him.
Jin Bao’s eyes were bloodred, her spine arched like a drawn bow, and her hair hung loose over her shoulders. Both hands were clenched into fists.
With a single blow, she shattered the wooden barrel that had confined her.
“What… what happened?”
Xiao Che was not the only one stunned. Everyone in the felt tent froze at what Jin Bao had done.
After that one strike, her eyes rolled back and her body went limp.
Fortunately, Pei Wanqing was still beside her and caught her small body. Jin Bao no longer felt scorching hot. Her fever seemed to have broken.
Even Xiao Jingmo, who had read countless miscellaneous records, travelogues, local accounts, and biographies, had never encountered anything so strange.
“Father, I wasn’t seeing things just now, was I?”
Xiao Jingmo looked at the puddle and scattered splinters on the ground, then tugged lightly on Xiao Che’s sleeve.
Xiao Che patted his shoulder.
“Mo’er, it looks like your little sister won’t need your protection anymore. She’s awakened another ability. That punch just now could probably kill a three-hundred-catty wild boar.”
His expression was complicated but pleased.
Jin Bao had been their weakness. Now that weakness had turned to steel. What did they have left to fear?
“Father, I use my mind. Little Sister and I have different strengths. She still needs me.”
A relieved smile touched Xiao Jingmo’s lips. Then his expression grew serious.
“Father, there are some things I need to discuss with you properly. Let’s talk outside.”