Rongguo Mansion, Fragrant Herbs Garden.
Zhang Momo, one of the servant women, carried a bowl of freshly brewed medicine into the inner room. Just as she was about to approach Aunt Xue's bed, Li Wan hurriedly rose and said, "Leave it to me."
Ever since Aunt Xue had caught a chill these past two days, Li Wan had attended to her even more diligently than Xue Baochai had. The servants had long since grown accustomed to it.
Thus, Zhang Momo did not stand on ceremony with her. After a token demurral, she handed over the Small Earthen Pot.
Li Wan set it on the small table beside the bed, stirred the medicine evenly with a spoon, then scooped some up and blew on it to cool it. Just as she was about to feed Aunt Xue, Aunt Xue suddenly turned over and faced the wall.
Seeing this, Li Wan glanced from the corner of her eye to make sure Zhang Momo had gone into the outer room. Only then did she lower her voice and urge, "Even if something terrible has happened, Auntie should not mistreat her own body..."
Before she could finish, Aunt Xue suddenly turned back, glaring at Li Wan with shame and anger. "Am I the one mistreating myself, or are all of you mistreating me?"
Li Wan was left speechless. She lowered her head with a soft sigh, set the spoon back into the earthen pot, and slowly stirred the medicine.
For a moment, the entire inner room fell silent. Only the clear clinking of the spoon against the earthen pot remained.
Aunt Xue had always possessed a gentle temperament. Her resentment had merely erupted in the heat of the moment, and now, seeing Li Wan hanging her head in silence, her heart unconsciously softened again.