TMBIABHL: Chapter 56

 Glossary

·Ye Chutang (叶初棠): The female protagonist, the Second Miss of the Ye family.

·Shen Yanchuan (沈延川): The male lead, Heir to the Marquis of Dingbei.

·Little Five / Xiao Wu (小五): Ye Chutang's youngest sister.

·Ye Heng (叶恆): Ye Chutang's second uncle, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

·Lady Gao (高氏): Ye Heng's wife.

·Ye Shixian (叶诗娴): Ye Heng's daughter.

·Ye Mingze (叶明泽): Ye Heng's son.

·Xu Fengchi (徐凤池): The Left Vice Censor-in-Chief.

·Xu Rongqing (徐容卿): Xu Fengchi's son.

·Zhang, the Physician (张太医): An imperial physician.

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Chapter 56: How Sour

Lady Gao frowned deeply. "So flustered and careless in your work! What is this behavior!"

The maid, unsteady on her feet, fell backward to the ground as she retreated. The look she directed at Lady Gao was still full of shock and horror.

"Madam, your—your face!"

"What about my face?" Lady Gao raised a hand to touch it, but suddenly noticed the texture under her fingers felt strange.

The skin that had been smooth now felt bumpy and very rough to the touch.

Her heart sank immediately.

By now, the attention of everyone at the banquet had been drawn over. When they saw Lady Gao's current appearance, they were also shocked into stillness.

Sensing the atmosphere was wrong, Lady Gao grew flustered and turned to Ye Heng for help. "Husband, I—"

Ye Heng's eyelids twitched.

Dense clusters of red rashes had appeared all over Lady Gao's face and neck at some unknown time!

Lady Gao felt an inexplicable itch on her face and couldn't help but scratch it.

Where she scratched, flat bumps immediately sprang up at a visible speed, in deep, dark red and purple shades that looked deeply unsettling.

All the hair on Ye Heng's body stood on end. He immediately took two steps back, putting distance between them, as if Lady Gao were now something unclean that he feared contaminating him.

"Someone! Escort the Madam back to her room!"

Before Lady Gao even understood what was happening, she heard Ye Heng ordering her expulsion from the event, making her panic even more.

She had also felt those uneven marks on her own face, and her voice trembled. "I—I—how did this happen!"

It was fine if she didn't touch it; the more she touched, the itchier it became. An itch that felt like ants crawling under her skin, piercing to the core, assailed her, forcing Lady Gao to scratch her face with increasing vigor.

The sight was utterly bizarre.

Ye Heng felt deeply ashamed—how many colleagues were present here! For them to witness such a scene, who knew how they would gossip in private!

He sharply reprimanded the maid. "What are you still standing there for!"

The maid scrambled up from the ground in a panic, shot a quick glance at Lady Gao's current appearance, felt her scalp go numb, and timidly stepped forward.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

However, before she could touch Lady Gao, a gentle, clear woman's voice suddenly came through.

"Has Second Aunt had some kind of acute attack?"

Lady Gao looked up in alarm, meeting a pair of dark, gentle eyes.

"Should we ask Physician Zhang to take a look?"

This reminder prompted Ye Heng, who immediately called out urgently, "Physician Zhang!"

……

Lady Gao was eventually taken to the side hall, with Physician Zhang and others closely following.

Since he still had to host the remaining guests, Ye Heng did not go with them.

Yet this small incident had already caused a subtle shift in the banquet's atmosphere.

Little Five sat beside Ye Chutang, tilting her little head to glance toward the side hall, her eyes seeming somewhat timid.

Ye Chutang stroked her little face and comforted her in a low voice. "Don't be afraid, Little Five. Second Aunt just had a sudden issue. It likely won't be serious."

Many who heard this were again reminded of Lady Gao's face, swollen and covered in rashes. Looking at the elaborately prepared dishes before them, they truly lost all appetite.

Who could have imagined that in the middle of everything being perfectly fine, such a situation would occur?

Ye Heng's heart was also filled with a hundred kinds of discomfort.

Although Lady Gao's background was not high and she could be petty, her advantage was that she was pretty and charming, well-maintained, and one could still see some of the beauty of her youth. Ye Shixian took after her, which was why she was so lovely.

He had originally thought today's family banquet could help build good relations, but who knew such a thing would happen!

What would others think?

Utterly humiliated!

……

In the side hall, when Lady Gao saw herself in the mirror, she recoiled in fright.

"What—what is this!? How did my face become like this!?"

In her panic, she turned and tightly grasped Ye Shixian's hand.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"Xian'er! Xian'er!"

Ye Shixian's eyes flashed. She unobtrusively freed her hand, then used her handkerchief to pat Lady Gao's arm.

"Mother, don't panic yet. Physician Zhang is here. Let him examine you."

Only then did Lady Gao barely calm herself down, though her heart was still pounding wildly.

Just thinking of the ghostly face she had seen in the mirror made her wish she were dead!

Ye Shixian took a step back to make room for Physician Zhang. "We trouble you."

Physician Zhang stepped forward to check Lady Gao's pulse, contemplating for a long while, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

"It resembles poisoning, but I've never seen... Madam, have you eaten anything you shouldn't have before? Or touched anything you shouldn't have?"

Lady Gao's mind was in chaos. "No!"

She had been busy with the banquet preparations all day, she hadn't done anything else!

Physician Zhang's expression was hesitant. "This... could you think again?"

Lady Gao suddenly thought of something—

"Ye Chutang! It must be her!"

Physician Zhang was startled. "What?"

Lady Gao said resentfully, "I didn't do anything today! I only touched hands with her just now. If it wasn't her, then who—"

"Mother." Ye Shixian immediately cut her off, quickly glancing at Physician Zhang.

They were still in front of an outsider, how could she speak so bluntly!

"Mother, perhaps you remember incorrectly? There are many people at home today. It's possible you touched something unclean at some point without noticing?"

Physician Zhang kept his eyes downcast, pretending not to have heard.

The Ye family was clearly not as close to this finally recovered niece as they appeared on the surface.

An orphaned girl was indeed easy to bully. Even if they directly threw this basin of dirty water onto her head, she would have no other recourse.

But... the Heir to the Marquis of Dingbei was right here!

Who couldn't tell from his earlier words that he held a protective attitude towards Ye Chutang and her siblings!

To rashly offend Ye Chutang now for the sake of Lady Gao—wouldn't that be foolish!

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Physician Zhang stroked his beard, looking troubled. "My medical skills are limited. I truly haven't seen a case like yours before. Shall I write a prescription for you to try first? Or perhaps... seek another more skilled physician?"

……

With Lady Gao's condition, this family banquet couldn't continue halfway through.

The guests had no heart to stay, and before long someone rose to take their leave.

Ye Heng initially wanted to urge them to stay, but in his heart, he also knew they were unwilling to remain. Besides, he still didn't know what exactly was wrong with Lady Gao, and he was deeply vexed.

The feast he had meticulously prepared was thus wasted.

Ye Heng forcibly suppressed the fire in his heart and personally saw the guests off.

Xu Fengchi came before Ye Chutang once more. Many words stuck in his throat, but he didn't know how to voice them.

Today's situation made it easy enough to glimpse the circumstances Ye Chutang and her siblings faced within the Ye residence.

Although he could help, he couldn't watch over them day and night.

In the end, he could only say, "You've just returned. Rest well and recuperate. When you have time later, come visit. You're welcome anytime."

Ye Chutang performed a curtsy. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Xu."

Xu Rongqing walked a few steps, then turned back, looking at Ye Chutang with concern, speaking softly. "Take care, Chutang, younger sister."

The corner of Ye Chutang's lips curved gently as she gave a slight nod. "I will."

Only after the Xu family's carriage had driven away did Ye Chutang hear familiar footsteps approaching from behind.

She turned. "Farewell to the heir."

Shen Yanchuan, who had one foot not yet out the door: "..."

He had merely inquired a bit more with Ye Heng, and then caught up to this scene of someone eagerly seeing off a guest.

"Physician Ye has encountered constant disturbances since just returning to the capital. If there is any need for assistance, please do not hesitate to ask."

Ye Chutang met his gaze.

Could any of those disturbances compare to the trouble he brought?

She politely declined, handing over that carved nanmu wood box. "Thank you, Heir. However, you already paid the consultation fee before. You don't owe me anything. Please take this gift of thanks back."

Shen Yanchuan's eyebrow raised slightly.

"How could that be? Before, Physician Ye was alone looking after your younger siblings while also treating a patient like me. That was truly hard work. A word of thanks is only appropriate."

Ye Chutang was speechless.

Lian Zhou looked down at the ground, wrinkling his nose.

Huh? Why did it suddenly feel a bit sour in here...

"Ye Chutang!"

A figure came charging over—it was Ye Mingze.

His face was full of fury as he pointed accusingly at Ye Chutang.

"It was you!"

(End of Chapter)

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