Chapter 66: The Origin of Smallpox

  Liu Rong was taken aback for a moment, then immediately looked up: "Fell ill? Does anyone know what illness it is?"

  Last night, Lian'er sneaked out of her residence and ran past, the scene still fresh in her memory. Even that strange tattered garment made her feel uneasy.

  It's so coincidental, I got sick today.

  Seeing Liu Rong being so concerned, the wet nurse thought that Liu Rong had been persuaded by her and continued to say to Liu Rong: "I don't know the specifics, I just heard from the maid guarding outside that Lian'er fell ill in the afternoon, her body has been feverish all along, as for the situation at night, it's unclear."

  Just as the milkmaid was speaking seriously, a broadcast voice came from outside, but it was looking for Liu Rong.

  Liu Rong's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she quickly put down the medical book, walking outwards. She saw a small maid panting outside, who upon seeing Liu Rong, immediately knelt down: "Third Miss, I know you have the kindest heart, please, please save Lotus Sister!"

  "What's going on?" Liu Rong asked the unfamiliar little maid.

  The little maid was a bit afraid and didn't dare to speak carefully, but seeing Liu Rong staring at her steadily without moving, she finally opened her mouth: "Sister Lian'er doesn't know why, but in the afternoon she started having a fever, and has been having headaches and nausea wanting to vomit, then small pink spots appeared around her nose..."

  "Take me to see." Liu Rong didn't let the little maid continue, but the wet nurse's face changed drastically. This... these symptoms are exactly what Sixth Sister had when she first fell ill.

  The milk girl wanted to go forward and pull Rong, but only saw Rong's back as she hurried away.

  Although Liu Rong had already told her that Liu Jie was suffering from chickenpox and not smallpox, the mansion only allowed Liu Rong to stay in Liu Jie's room for treatment and did not allow anyone in the house to step out of the courtyard.

  She only pretended to be the third lady, fearing that they would worry, and deceived them into thinking that Liu's illness was chickenpox rather than smallpox. Now, seeing another case of this disease, the wet nurse couldn't help but panic.

  Liu Rong quickly followed Xiao Yatou and only then realized that to get from Liu Jie's residence to Fourth Miss's residence, they had to pass through her own courtyard.

  "Has Lian'er encountered anything unusual recently or come into contact with anyone or anything?" Liu Rong looked at the little maid who was almost running forward with a worried face.

  "This didn't happen, but during this time, Sister Lian'er was always restless and would secretly run out from time to time. Although our relationship is good, when I asked her, she wouldn't answer," the little maid said, pausing slightly: "Half a month ago, for some unknown reason, she even forced me to switch rooms and wouldn't let me share a room with her."

  The little maid said with a tinge of sadness: "We used to be so close, but suddenly everything changed."

  The little maid said with a low mood: "Without the master, the maid is always without a backbone, and I don't know when Fourth Miss will be able to come back from the Buddhist hall after receiving her punishment. Maybe by that time, Lotus's temperament will have recovered."

  Liu Rong listened but didn't say a word, yet an idea in her mind became increasingly clear, and her footsteps quickened slightly.

  It wasn't long before Liu Rong arrived at the fourth young lady's courtyard, which was distinctly different from Liu Xiang's simple one. Every part of this courtyard seemed to be carefully decorated, revealing that its owner was a meticulous person.

  Liu Rong let out a faint sigh, what a pity that the efforts were not in the right place. If only she had simply arranged her own courtyard to cultivate her emotions and not had crooked thoughts, how would she have ended up like this now?

  As the eldest daughter and her mother having passed away early, the people in the mansion would also show some sympathy, let alone Second Madam being a kind person.

  What's scary about people is not that they don't think, but that their thoughts are twisted.

  The little maid was in a hurry and didn't wait for Liu Rong to carefully observe the surroundings before leading her to a side room adjacent to the main house.

  Lotus lay in the house, the pink spots on her face were no longer spots but had developed into papules.

  Just by looking at these symptoms, Liu Rong knew that there was another case of chickenpox in the mansion.

  It's just unknown whether the source of infection is the same or not.

  Liu Rong took out the mask she had been carrying with her, put it on her face, and then approached Lian'er. Although she had already confirmed in her heart, as a doctor's rigor, she still carefully checked Lian'er's body again before truly confirming.

  In the meantime, Lian'er woke up and saw Liu Rong. Her expression changed constantly, sometimes surprised and delighted, sometimes frightened.

  Liu Rong saw everything, but ordered the little maid to go out and find some water for Lian'er, and also asked her to go to the kitchen to ask for some eggs to make an egg custard.

  After Xiaoyuan left, Liu Rong finally looked at Lian'er lying on the bed, and the two people remained silent for a long time.

  Lotus suddenly couldn't help but ask: "Third Miss, I...I have the same illness as Sixth Miss?"

  Liu Rong brushed her sleeve: "Why do you feel this way?"

  Lotus is silent.

  Liu Rong didn't mind, and casually opened her mouth: "I was resting in my own room last night, when I suddenly heard a 'bang' sound coming from outside. I don't know if someone dropped something or fell. When I went out to take a look, I saw your back."

  Liu Rong said with a slight pause, while Lian'er shrank her body, looking somewhat frightened.

  "I called out to you at the time, but you didn't say a word and ran off. On the ground where you left, there was a tattered piece of clothing that didn't look like something from our household."

  Liu Rong looked at Lian'er: "Where did those clothes come from? Who wore them?"

  Lotus tightly pursed her lips and remained silent, refusing to answer any questions.

  "You know, everyone in the mansion says this illness is smallpox, but I say it's chickenpox." Liu Rong spoke as if she didn't care at all, her eyes tightly fixed on Lian'er's expression.

  Only then did Lian'er's body tremble slightly when she heard the Tianhua.

  "But do you know? Smallpox is false, and chickenpox is true."

  Lotus's eyes fell with tears, but she still didn't say a word.

  Liu Rong stood up and looked down at Lian'er: "Do you know that this illness can now only be cured by me?"

  Unexpectedly, Lian'er didn't react at all after hearing Liu Rong's last sentence, and Liu Rong slightly furrowed her brow.

  "Third Miss, there's no need to say anything more. I have this illness, it's fate, it's my lot in life. I don't want any treatment either. Please leave." After a long time, Lotus finally spoke these words, and as she did, she turned her body sideways and lay down, no longer looking at Liu Rong.

  Liu Rong gazed at the back of Lian'er, lost in thought. Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside and assumed it was the little maid who had come to fetch her returning.

  Liu Rong's expression changed slightly, but she slowly walked to the edge of the table and sat down: "You not wanting to treat your illness is your business, but do you know that this illness of yours is contagious? I see that little maid is quite concerned about you, and with how frequent your contact is, it's possible she's already infected."