Successfully Captured a Fanboy (viii)
Edited: 03.27.2024
With Xiao Ziheng’s protection, Ruan Qing felt that his life was much easier. He didn’t know what methods Xiao Ziheng used, but it made it more difficult for the Green Uniform Guards to spy on him. In addition, his mother and sister were well protected, so he could safely consult the medical books to find prescriptions for treating the epidemic.
The number of people suffering from the disease in Liangzhou City was increasing every day, and the momentum was slowly getting out of control. Ruan Qing stayed up late every day to try countless prescriptions and the entire west wing was filled with the bitter smell of traditional Chinese medicine. Even the plum blossoms at the door were suffering. They hung sickly on the branches, no longer proudly blooming like they once were.
Finally, things took a turn for the better on the seventh day.
In the morning, Ruan Qing woke up at his desk as usual, rubbed his two panda eyes, and called the boy next to him: “A Fu, go and open the courtyard door to disperse the medicinal smell.”
A Fu nodded and opened the door a tiny bit. Immediately, three dirty beggars in ragged clothes suddenly appeared outside. They rushed towards him with round eyes, causing A Fu to suddenly shout in fear: “Hey, who dares to force their way into the governor’s residence?”
The three of them froze for a moment, and with a thud, they all knelt down and cried: “Mr. Ruan, you must save our son!”
Ruan Qing heard the noise outside and pushed the door in a daze. When he encountered this scene, he couldn’t help but ask in shock: “What?”
The man in front took two steps forward on his knees and wanted to hug Ruan Qing’s feet. Ruan Qing, however, stepped back in fright: “Sir, this is a special period. If you want to enter the residence, you must have His Second Imperial Majesty’s consent!”
The man was crying so hard that he didn’t care if his shirt was covered in snot and tears, and said anxiously: “Mr. Ruan, don’t you remember us? We were the couple outside Liangzhou City, and the one who suffered from the epidemic that day was none other than my son.”
Ruan Qing was stunned for a moment, and after taking a closer look, he felt they were familiar. However, when he first met these three people, they were dressed decently and expensively, but now it was as if they were fleeing from a disaster, so it was inevitable that he didn’t recognize them: “Sir, please get up quickly. Take your time telling me what you have to say.”
The family of three stood up, and the man pushed his son forward. The child looked no more than seven or eight years old. His face was frighteningly white and he looked as if he had been hungry for a long time. His cheeks were sunken and he staggered a few steps before he managed to stand in front of Ruan Qing. He stood firm and said timidly: “Mr. Ruan, please save me.”
Ruan Qing couldn’t stand seeing children like this. His heart immediately softened and he knelt down: “Don’t be afraid, you’re a good boy. What’s your name? Tell brother what’s wrong?”
The boy seemed a little embarrassed. He bit his lower lip and said aggrievedly: “My name is……my name is Yu Jie’er. My stomach started hurting really bad after I took your medicine.”
“Yu Jie’er?” Ruan Qing was stunned. What kind of parents would give this kind of name to a boy? He couldn’t help but look at his parents in confusion.
*small t/n: his name sounds very feminine that’s why.
The man hurriedly explained: “This child is weak and was born sickly, so giving a contemptuous name[1] was more beneficial in raising him.”
Ruan Qing nodded thoughtfully, turned around, and asked Yu Jie’er: “Why does your stomach hurt? The medicine I prepared for you is very mild. Did you eat something bad?”
Yu Jie’er looked into his pure eyes and felt like he could no longer stand. He broke out in a cold sweat and cried: “No, no! It’s because I took your medicine, that’s why it hurts…..”
If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.
Ruan Qing stared at his face quietly, but before he spoke, an emotionless mechanical voice suddenly popped up in his mind: “Ding! The second patient has been detected, and the 2nd main quest is open——Cure the boy suffering from the epidemic, 10 points will be awarded upon success.”
Ruan Qing was startled by the system that suddenly appeared and said angrily: “Please give me a notice in advance next time you assign me a task, thank you!”
After viciously cursing 0028 in his heart, Ruan Qing placed his hand on Yu Jie’er’s stomach and gently rubbed it: “How long has this abdominal pain of yours lasted?”
Yu Jie’er tilted his head. He thought for a while before hesitantly answering: “T-Two days now.”
Ruan Qing nodded and asked again: “Do you have any symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and or vomiting?”
Yu Jie’er seemed to be very uncomfortable. He felt shaky standing under the sun, as if he was going to faint in the next second. He gritted his teeth and said: “Yes, all of them…..”
Ruan Qing pondered for a long time, then raised his head and said to Yu Jie’er’s parents: “The rules of the residence must not be broken. I hope you two will wait outside while I go inside to treat your son.”
The couple couldn’t help but express their gratitude: “Thank you, Mr. Ruan, for saving our child! I entrusted his life to Mr. Ruan!”
Ruan Qing smiled, and without answering, he took Yu Jie’er into the west room. He then ordered him to lie on the couch, while he himself sat on the edge to take his pulse.
Yu Jie’er was trembling, his eyes were flying wildly, and his hands were sweating in layers. Ruan Qing waited for a while and then couldn’t help laughing: “Yu Jie’er, you actually don’t have abdominal pain at all, right?”
Yu Jie’er was stunned for a moment before turning pale with shock and immediately denying: “No, no, I have had abdominal pain for two days, and it was caused by taking your medicine……”
Ruan Qing smiled, put his hands on the couch, and lazily supported his chin: “Really? But I checked and your pulse is stable. Although the epidemic hasn’t been completely eradicated, it has shown a trend of improvement. I wonder why you’re lying to me like this?”
Yu Jie’er was a little flustered. He was still young, so he couldn’t win against an old slicker like Ruan Qing. He could only sternly stand his point: “I didn’t lie! It’s because I took your medicine that my stomach hurts!”
Ruan Qing snorted coldly and moved to lift his tightly covered neck. Sure enough, a large bruise was revealed. The wound couldn’t heal and blood still oozed out. Yu Jie’er tried in vain to cover it.
As he thought! Ruan Qing immediately understood and sneered: “Your parents were also being strange. I have never told them my surname, but they called me Mr. Ruan the moment they saw me today. And these marks on your neck, they are exactly the same as the old man I saw serving His First Imperial Majesty that day. I don’t think anyone would believe it if you said you didn’t have any ulterior motives in doing this.”
Seeing that he had been exposed, Yu Jie’er quickly turned and tried to escape, but he was pinned to the couch by Ruan Qing. After several attempts to break free, he opened his mouth to shout, but Ruan Qing quickly covered his mouth with his hands and leaned on him, whispering in his ear: “Don’t make a sound! I will only ask you one question: are you doing this today at the behest of the Eldest Imperial Prince?”
Yu Jie’er was so frightened that tears fell down his face and his whole body shook like a sieve.
Ruan Qing breathed a long sigh of relief and lowered his voice: “If I say that I can cure you and help you escape from your misery, will you be willing to work for me?”
Yu Jie’er was stunned and looked back at him in disbelief. After a long while, he nodded heavily.
Ruan Qing was overjoyed and let him go with great satisfaction. Yu Jie’er knew he was in the wrong. He knelt on the couch, kowtowed to him, and said softly: “Mr. Ruan, save me, those two bastards outside the door aren’t my parents. The Eldest Imperial Prince said that if I didn’t do what he said, he would kill me and throw me into the wilderness to feed the wolves. I have no choice but to do this. Mr. Ruan, please don’t blame me.”
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
[1] Idea that having a contemptuous name helps children become unnoticed by bad/evil/death spirits. Because it makes the child seem unwanted, the bad/evil/death spirits will leave them alone. ↩
☽ ⋆ℍalf 𝕄oon 𝕋ranslations⋆ ☾ 
Oh no, it’s a kid-trap! D:
Thank You for the new chapter ♡⃛(꒡ε ꒡ღ)
LikeLiked by 1 person