Chapter 197: Chapter 193: The tag-along_1
Translator: 549690339
Yingbao guessed correctly, Chen Tiantian did indeed want to familiarize herself with the sickly boy.
Ever since the bandit attack, Chen Tiantian has been having frequent dreams, spiraling through a litany of strange events, like a carousel.
But the scenes in her dreams were chaotic and vague, she couldn’t even link them together.
However, in her dreams, there was someone who kept telling her that she must stick with Jiang Yingbao, and follow whatever she did.
The figure in her dream also said that Jiang Yingbao was merely a stepping stone for her. Her reputation, friends, family, admirers — everything would belong to Chen Tiantian. If not, she was certain to die before reaching the age of twenty-one.
At first, Chen Tiantian didn’t believe it, but then a series of predictions from the voice in her dream proved true. Only then did she start to panic.
She did not wish to die at twenty-one. She wanted to live a long life, to enjoy the world’s riches and honours.
So she beseeched her mother, Han Yueniang, to persuade her stepfather to bring Jiang Yingbao to her side.
Her stepfather was a trusted staff member of a martial general in Prefecture City. As long as he advocated for her, there was nothing that couldn’t be accomplished with the general’s influence.
Upon hearing this, however, Han Yueniang was furious, claiming her daughter had lost her mind and was willing to bring disaster upon their family.
She saw Jiang Yingbao as a jinx who had been nothing but trouble for them. Unbelievable that her second daughter actually wanted her to find a way to bring that disaster closer.
“What nonsense! If you want to be with Jiang Yingbao as much as your aunt does, go to Chuanhe Town. Your aunt’s family wants to go back home. Why don’t you go with them?”
“I’m not I didn’t Mother, listen to me.”
Chen Tiantian desperately tried to explain about the voice in her head, but that only made Han Yueniang even angrier, thinking her second daughter had gone mad.
“I think you better go back to Chuanhe Town with your aunt. Once your mother gets her footing in your stepfather’s family, I’ll have you come back.”
Han Yueniang finally managed to tie the knot with the Pei family and was yet to bear a son. She couldn’t let anyone know that her daughter was mad, so she had to send her away.
Thus, Chen Tiantian ended up returning to Chuanhe Town with her aunt’s family.
However, her mother Han Yueniang ultimately still cared about her and asked her stepfather to help her by sending a letter back to their hometown, arranging for her to study medicine at Doctor Li’s medical hall.
Of course, Chen Tiantian was the one who pleaded with her mother to learn medicine through a letter. It was only after her mother’s help that she, a nine-year-old, was able to enter Doctor Li’s medical hall and come in contact with Jiang Yingbao.
However, no matter how much Chen Tiantian tried to ingratiate herself with Jiang Yingbao, the five-year-old girl was like a stone that couldn’t be warmed up. She absolutely did not fall for Chen Tiantian’s tricks.
This made Chen Tiantian feel quite frustrated.
Fortunately, she got along quite well with Li Xihua. With the instigation of the foolish Chen Zhao, Li Xihua and her two brothers grew closer and closer to her.
That could be considered as stealing Jiang Yingbao’s friends.
Chen Tiantian felt a secret joy and a hint of pride in her heart.
She wanted Jiang Yingbao to have not a single close friend, to be abandoned by all, with everyone hating her, isolating her.
Perhaps she wouldn’t die at twenty-one that way, maybe Jiang Yingbao would be the one to die.
By the afternoon, the pallor on the Zhao family boy’s face had lessened considerably. Although his lips were still pale, they looked much better than they had the day before.
Doctor Li was puzzled. He would measure the boy’s pulse every hour, and each time it got better and better.
“Remarkable indeed. Perhaps my own medical skills have improved?”
Doctor Li gazed at the prescription form he had written, studying it carefully and then recording it meticulously in his casebook.
Early the next day, Doctor Li hurried from the backyard to the patient’s room to check on the Zhao boy. He saw Yingbao squatting near the stove decocting medicine in the medical hall, with Chen Tiantian standing not far away.
“Yingbao, who are you preparing the medicine for?” Doctor Li asked as he stopped.
Yingbao: “It’s for Zhao Silang.”
“Is it ready?” The doctor, Li, walked over, looking closely at the bubbling, steaming medicine pot.
Yingbao: “It should be ready, I’m about to pour it out.”
Before she could finish, Chen Tiantian had already walked over, smiling, “Sister Yingbao, let me do it. The medicine pot is too hot, be careful not to burn yourself.”
Before Yingbao could refuse, Doctor Li also said, “Let your elder sister Chen handle it.”
Yingbao glanced at Chen Tiantian, stepped aside graciously, and seriously said to Doctor Li, “Grandfather Li, I am the elder sister. From now on, both Chen Tiantian and Chen Zhao must call me sister.” Otherwise, she would go home, never to return again, since she had already recognized all of the medicinal herbs here anyway.
Doctor Li helplessly nodded, “Alright, alright, you are the elder sister. I misspoke before.”
This young apprentice was good at everything, except she was incredibly stubborn.
Chen Tiantian poured out the medicine, lifted it up and smiled at Yingbao: “I am four years older than you, how can I call you sister?”
“What use is being an older? A dummy like you who still can’t recognize all the medicinal herbs only qualifies to be a younger sister.” Yingbao pointed out Chen Tiantian’s weakness without any courtesy.
“You!” Chen Tiantian got so angry that she almost flung the medicine bowl at Jiang Yingbao.
She turned to complain to Doctor Li, but he had already gone to the patient’s side.
Chen Tiantian glared at Yingbao, cursed her a thousand times in her heart, and followed him with the bowl of medicine.
In reality, Yingbao even more wanted to smash the medicine stove on Chen Tiantian’s head.
Early in the morning, this annoying girl kept following her around like a shadow, making her nauseous with those sly eyes.
Would anyone like to have someone standing behind them like a ghost while they work?
So, she deliberately made remarks to provoke Chen Tiantian, hoping to provoke her into attacking, then she would have reason to give her a good beating.
Who knew there was so much strategy in this girl; she wouldn’t take the bait.
Huh, it’s no wonder she could become an Empress Dowager, with such a deep sense of strategy at only nine years old, few could match her.
If it were any ordinary girl, being ridiculed to their face, few could suppress their anger. But this Chen Tiantian showed surprising restraint.
However, no matter how patient she was, if she still followed her tomorrow, she could use her as a punching bag for practice.
In the patient’s room, Doctor Li checked Zhao Silang’s pulse and said with satisfaction, “Your condition is stable now. If you rest and take care of yourself, you should recover in a few days.”
The pallor on Zhao Silang’s face had completely faded, his lips had a bit of pink in them, he gave a deep bow to Doctor Li, “I am deeply grateful for saving my life.”
The woman also bowed to Doctor Li and cried tears of joy.
At this moment, Chen Tiantian stepped forward, presenting the bowl of medicine in her hands, speaking softly, “Hurry and drink the medicine. It was made early this morning; drink it while it’s hot so you can recover quickly.”
Zhao Silang also bowed to Chen Tiantian, “Thank you, miss, for your consideration.”
The woman took the bowl of medicine from Chen Tiantian’s hands, repeating her thanks.
Chen Tiantian smiled slightly, “No need to thank me. One shouldn’t delay treatment. Making medicine early in the morning is part of my duty, sir, you need not worry.”
The woman glanced at her, and didn’t say anything more.
Every morning, she had seen the child called Yingbao fetching and preparing the medicine, while this young girl just watched from far away without moving. She didn’t understand the meaning of this.
Now, she was speaking as if she was the one who made the medicine at such a young age, she thought a lot.