To Hold One’s Joy

hapter 18-1: Breaking a Fever

Under the veranda, a small red clay stove sat with a pot placed upon it, emanating medicinal vapors. Fusong stood nearby, diligently fanning the pot with a palm leaf fan. He heard a movement, looked up, and couldn't help but jump up: "Miss Luo is here!" His expression is like facing an enemy, giving the impression that it was not Luo Sheng who had arrived, but rather a menacing demon

Hongdou rolled her eyes and scolded: "My Miss is here to visit young master. Why are you so excited?" Fusong wanted to roll his eyes in return, but he didn't dare. He secretly thought to himself that he was frightened, not excited.

Meanwhile, Sheng Laotaitai had already been convinced to leave, and one by one, Sheng Dataitai and the others departed after taking turns to care for Luo Chen. Only Sheng Dalang, Erlang, Sanlang, and Silang remained, having just rushed over from school.

Fusong's voice startled the four of them, and they all turned their gaze toward the approaching young girl. She was adorned in a vibrant red floral dress, exuding a captivating presence as if riding the sunset.

As they looked at her, Sheng Erlang suddenly found her truly beautiful[1]. But then he felt a chill and shook his head vigorously. "Not right, not right," he muttered to himself. He reminded himself that Luo Sheng meant trouble, so how could he have thought she was beautiful? He must be possessed! Sheng Erlang quickly corrected his thoughts and watched Luo Sheng step forward with cold eyes.

Luo Sheng approached and greeted them with a slight bow, saying, "I'll go in and see my brother." Without giving the four brothers a chance to converse with her, she swiftly made her way to the room. Holding his folding fan, Sheng Erlang opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words. Why did he suddenly feel so inexplicably embarrassed?

Seeing Luo Sheng entering the room, Fusong remembered Sheng Dataitai's order from yesterday. He disregarded the stove and the boiling medicine and hurried inside. Meanwhile, as Luo Chen's condition worsened, a maid who had been left there by Sheng Dataitai quietly left to report the situation to Sheng Dataitai.

Fusong's alarmed voice could be heard from inside the room, "Miss, what are you doing?!" His shout was filled with panic, causing Sheng Dalang and the other three brothers to exchange glances and rush inside.

In the room, Fusong stared at Luo Sheng with hostility. "Young master is still sick. He can't eat strange things!" he exclaimed. Luo Sheng calmly responded, "This medicine can help reduce his fever." Luo Sheng didn't want to waste her time arguing with a servant, so she ordered Hongdou lightly: "Hongdou, take him away."

"Yes," Hongdou replied and strode toward Fusong with a determined expression. Fusong stood his ground in front of Luo Chen's bed, assuming a defiant posture as if he would rather die than be humiliated. However, his nerves got the better of him, and he stammered, "I, I would rather die than let you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hongdou swiftly lifted him onto her shoulder and tossed him outside. The sight left Sheng Dalang and the others momentarily bewildered. Fusong, still unsure of his whereabouts, managed to gather his thoughts and continued to seek help for his master, "Dagongzi, Miss Luo brought my master an unknown medicine, and she insisted on feeding it to him."

The four Sheng brothers hurriedly entered the room and witnessed Luo Sheng slipping a pea-sized pill into Luo Chen's mouth. "Luo biaomei!" Sheng Dalang exclaimed in desperation.

Sheng Sanlang rushed forward to stop her, only to hear Luo Sheng calmly say, "He has already taken it."

Sheng Sanlang: "..."

Sheng Erlang's face grew somber as he questioned, "How could you administer medicine to Biaodi without the doctor's discretion?" Luo Sheng gave Luo Chen a few sips of water, then gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. She turned to face the four and explained, "This is a fever-reducing medicine."

A sharp voice came: "Nonsense!" Sheng Jiayu stormed into the room. The words "Luo Sheng" surged to the tip of her tongue, but she forcefully swallowed them. She said with a sneer," "Grandmother has invited all the renowned doctors in Jinsha County. Yet, Biaodi's fever still hasn't subsided. How could you recklessly administer unknown medicine to him at such a critical time?"

Luo Sheng calmly glanced at Sheng Dataitai, who had entered the room, before responding, "It is precisely because the doctors were helpless that I took the initiative to give my brother this medicine."

"But you're not a doctor!" Sheng Jiayu exclaimed angrily. She again couldn't fathom accepting troublemakers like Luo Sheng, who seemed to only worsen the situation, as her biaojie.

[1] Sheng Erlang here used a line of poetry from Tang Dynasty

眉黛奪將萱草色，紅裙妒殺石榴花 (méi dài duó jiāng xuāncǎo sè, hóng qún dù shā shíliú huā)

As I am not very familiar with poetry, here's an explanation from ChatGPT. If there's anything incorrect in the explanation, please feel free to leave a comment.

"The color of the eyebrows competes with the hue of the mallow; the red skirt envies the beauty of the pomegranate flower." In this line, the poet uses vivid imagery to describe the beauty and allure of a woman.

1. "眉黛奪將萱草色" (The color of the eyebrows competes with the hue of the mallow):

This line refers to the captivating beauty of the woman's eyebrows. The phrase "眉黛" (méi dài) literally means "eyebrow ink," which refers to the traditional practice of using dark-colored cosmetics to enhance the appearance of the eyebrows. The poet suggests that the color of her eyebrows is so enchanting that it rivals the vibrant and attractive color of the mallow flowers.

2. "紅裙妒殺石榴花" (The red skirt envies the beauty of the pomegranate flower):

Here, the poet describes the woman's red skirt, which is so exquisite and captivating that it evokes jealousy from the beautiful pomegranate flowers. The color red has long been associated with love, passion, and beauty in Chinese culture, and it symbolizes the woman's alluring charm.

Overall, this line from the Tang Dynasty poem highlights the exceptional beauty and allure of a woman, drawing comparisons between her features and the vibrant colors found in nature.