Meng Anci was starving; he picked up a piece of pastry and ate it while reading. "Aren't all cats and dogs the same?"
Zhao Zhiyuan was shocked. "Your cat is as big as a small leopard! It's not an ordinary tabby cat; it looks more like a wildcat to me."
"He is indeed quite big..." Meng Anci sighed helplessly as he looked up at the eaves, thinking to himself that he seemed to be the slowest growing person in the family.
He turned to Zhao Zhiyuan beside him, "Stand up."
Zhao Zhiyuan confused, but he still got up as instructed.
Meng Anci leaned over and compared shoulders, finding that his shoulders were a hand's breadth higher than Zhao Zhiyuan's, a satisfied smile appeared in his eyes.
Zhao Zhiyuan was taken aback. "You don't really think you're short, do you?"
"Otherwise what?" Meng Anci said matter-of-factly.
Zhao Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You're always comparing yourself to eleven or twelve-year-olds, don't you look short? Actually, you're much taller than your peers!"
Meng Anci was the youngest student in the academy. He usually only interacted with his classmates and hadn't seen many people his own age. Over time, he began to think of himself as a short person.
Meng Anci liked hearing this. He pushed the pastries towards Zhao Zhiyuan, his eyes smiling, "Have some. The academy is in complete chaos; they probably don't have time to cook for us."
Zhao Zhiyuan didn't stand on ceremony and picked up the pastries to eat. Zhao Yushan swallowed hard, then looked away and continued reading.
Voices came from outside the courtyard, and soon food was brought over. Meng Anci took the opportunity to call out to Master Cen, "Master, how is Shiyan? I'd like to go see him?"
Master Cen covered his mouth and nose with cloth, piled the food at the door, and glanced at Meng Anci when he had a moment. "He's already taken his medicine and fallen asleep. Don't worry, the government has a prescription for epidemic prevention."
After saying that, he threw the bedding into the yard, saying, "You'll have to make do in the classroom for a few nights. If you don't get infected, I'll let you out."
Meng Anci took out his purse. "Master, this is medicine my aunt gave me. Could you please give it to Shiyan for me?"
Master Cen knew Jin Shanyao; her ability to catch ghosts and divine was renowned throughout Qingzhou Prefecture. But what about her healing abilities? Master Cen was somewhat uncertain.
If Shiyan falls ill at the academy and takes medication haphazardly, causing an accident, the academy cannot bear the responsibility.
" Anci, listen to me... stay inside and read. If you feel unwell, tell the guards immediately," he said, throwing the last set of bedding into the yard before turning and leaving.
"Master, my aunt's medicine is very effective, Master... Master..." Meng Anci tried to chase after her out of the hospital, but was blocked by the guards, making him stamp his feet in frustration.
Affiliated hospital.
Shiyan was burning up with fever, his whole body aching so badly he couldn't move. It felt like his bones had been shattered and then put back together. When he saw the teacher enter, he was weak and listless. "Teacher," he said, "Am I going to die?"
Upon hearing this, hot tears streamed down her face. Her pleading eyes tugged at Master Cen's heartstrings. " Shiyan, Lord Su gave you a prescription. Just take the medicine for a few more days and you'll be fine."
"Master, I feel like I'm not getting better..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Meng Anci just said he wanted to see you. Think about him..."
Shiyan didn't realize that Meng Anci was just a pretentious charlatan. He was all sweet and obedient in front of the teacher, but he bared his fangs at him... He only wanted to see Sister Anzhi one last time before he died, and Meng Anci knocked him unconscious with a single slap.
Years of affection had ultimately been wasted. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. Shiyan tried to raise his hand to wipe them away, but his arm ached so much he couldn't lift it.
Shiyan stubbornly asked, "What did he say?"
A mist welled up in Master Cen's eyes. "Tell me, his aunt has medicine for you..."
Upon hearing Shiyan, Shi Yan's eyes lit up. He felt like he could live again. He stared at Master Cen and tried to speak, "Give..." Before he could finish speaking, Master Cen turned away.
Shiyan's throat was swollen and his voice was hoarse. He tried to reach out to Master Cen, hoping that he would turn around and look at him. Master Cen did not dare to turn around, afraid that he would burst into tears.
The two remained locked in a stalemate for a long time, when suddenly there was a thud. Master Cen turned around and saw Shiyan dragging himself toward the door. "Where are you going?"
Shiyan cried out in a hoarse voice, " Meng Anci..."
"What time is it, and you still think about him..." With a forceful pull, Master Cen lifted Shiyan back onto the kang, but as soon as he turned around, Master Cen was completely desperate.
"Alright, alright, I'll go find him right now... You lie here and take good care of yourself," Master Cen, forcing back tears. It's true what they say, people from the same county have such deep feelings for each other.
He arrived at the Licentiate Candidate Institute, called out Meng Anci, and handed him a handkerchief. "Cover your mouth and nose, and don't go near Shiyan, understand?"
Meng Anci and walked into the hospital with the medicine given to him by his aunt.
Shiyan...
Upon hearing the sound Shiyan forced himself to sit up and went to see, " Anci... medicine, medicine, medicine..."
Meng Anci understood, took out his purse, grabbed a handful of ginkgo nuts, and threw them in. Master Cen screamed in fright... but it was too late to stop him.
Shiyan grabbed ginkgo nuts like a madman and stuffed them into his mouth, swallowing them down with a gurgling sound.
Master Cen reached out and pried open his mouth, urgently saying, "Spit it out, spit it out quickly."
Unfortunately, Shiyan swallowed it all up and refused to spit it out. Furious, Master Cen grabbed Meng Anci and headed towards the Licentiate Candidate Institute.
"You child... Do you even know what illness he has? How dare you give him random medicine? If he dies, can you bear the responsibility?" With that, she forcefully pushed Meng Anci into the courtyard.
It was already quite dark by then. Meng Anci his clothes and grinned. He didn't care about Master Cen's scolding at all; his mind was completely occupied with what he was thinking.
"That's great, Shiyan won't die."
He walked into the room in a cheerful mood, only to find the spot where he had just lain down empty. Where were his bedding?
Meng Anci glanced around and found that everyone was already asleep. In November, without blankets, you'd freeze to death on a night like that. He wanted to ask Zhao Zhiyuan if he had seen it.
He was found fast asleep in Zhao Yushan's arms. Oh well, the bedding wouldn't leave the room anyway.
Meng Anci stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over each of his classmates until he saw the two people at the very back.
He walked over to retrieve his blanket, but as soon as he moved, the person lying down suddenly opened their eyes. Their eyes met, and neither was willing to back down even an inch.
A silent struggle ensued; the blankets were torn and deformed, neither side willing to let go.
In a flash, Meng Anci kicked the other person in the face and ruthlessly pulled the blanket back. A scream echoed through the silent room, startling everyone into sitting up abruptly.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see Meng Anci, a small figure, clutching his blanket, staring intently at the classmate opposite him who had been hogging the mattress. The classmate tremblingly handed the mattress to Meng Anci.
Meng Anci hugged the bedding, turned around, returned to his seat, laid it out, and closed his eyes to sleep.
Nobody knew what was going on; they just looked at each other...
Anzhi Hall.
Holding the empty medicine bowl in her hands, the Madam Shi asked dazedly, her eyes vacant, "Is my son really alright?"
"It's alright, Anci has already given him the medicine. His fever will subside by tomorrow morning, and he'll be better within three days..." The Jin Shanyao, its Spiritual Power constantly surrounding Meng Anci.
I was a little shocked when I saw him hit someone! I didn't expect her little guy to kick so hard. Not bad, not bad. He should fight back when he's bullied.
I should praise him when I get back...
The Madam Shi, recalling her earlier outburst at Jin Shanyao, felt somewhat timid. "Um, I'd like to wait at the entrance of the academy."
Shi Chang'an gently scolded, "Stay put and don't cause trouble." Then he looked at Jin Shanyao, "Miss Jin, why don't you think I've been infected?"
"Everyone's constitution is different, and the plague has an incubation period. Over this period of time, many people have already been infected. Go back and give everyone in the household the medicine according to my prescription for a few days. Don't be careless."
Shi Chang'an responded, and the couple returned home with trepidation. That very night, they brewed two large pots of medicine, which the entire household drank together.