NCCnovel Chapter 516: Hongxiu is finally saved
Chapter 516: Hongxiu is finally saved
As the pestle rose and fell, the snow lotus gradually turned into a fine paste, emitting an even richer fragrance.
Fang Xiao's forehead was slightly damp with sweat, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She quickly lit the stove and placed a small medicine pot on it.
After heating the medicine pot, she poured in some clear spring water, and soon the water began to boil and bubble.
She took a deep breath and slowly poured the mashed snow lotus paste into the medicine pot.
Instantly, a strange fragrance filled the entire room.
Fang Xiaoxiao stared intently at the medicine pot, holding a delicate wooden spoon in her hand, stirring constantly to ensure that the essence of the snow lotus could be fully dissolved in the water.
Time passed second by second, but Fang Xiaoxiao's eyes never left the medicine pot.
Finally, the medicine was ready, appearing as a thick, pale green liquid with a reassuring aroma.
Fang Xiaoxiao removed the medicine pot from the stove and set it aside to cool slightly. In the meantime, she began preparing other auxiliary medicinal materials.
These medicinal herbs were all carefully selected and preserved by her, and each one has a unique effect.
She mixed the various medicinal herbs together in a certain proportion, then wrapped them in a clean gauze, put them in another small pot, added an appropriate amount of water, and boiled them again.
Pei Yan watched quietly from the side, not daring to make a sound, only occasionally helping to pass things. His eyes were full of concern and expectation.
Before long, the auxiliary medicinal herbs were also cooked.
Fang Xiaoxiao filtered out the boiled medicine and mixed it with the previously boiled snow lotus medicine.
"Finally done."
Fang Xiaoxiao let out a long sigh of relief, a tired but gratified smile appearing on her face.
She picked up the medicine bowl, sat down by the bed, gently helped Hongxiu sit up, and said, "Hongxiu, come, drink your medicine, you'll get better soon."
However, Hongxiu was in a daze and unable to swallow on her own. Fang Xiaoxiao did not hesitate at all; she took a sip of the medicine and then fed it to Hongxiu mouth-to-mouth.
Sip after sip, Fang Xiaoxiao patiently and firmly fed the medicine until the entire bowl was finished.
Fang Xiaoxiao was covered in sweat, but her gaze remained fixed on Hongxiu's face, hoping to see a sign of improvement.
Just then, Hongxiu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and Fang Xiaoxiao felt a surge of joy.
"Hongxiu, Hongxiu, can you hear me?" Fang Xiaoxiao called softly.
However, Hongxiu still didn't respond. Fang Xiaoxiao's heart tightened again. She didn't know if this subtle reaction meant the medicine was starting to work, or if it was just a coincidence.
Time seemed to stand still as Fang Xiaoxiao stood by the bedside, her eyes fixed on Hongxiu.
Suddenly, Hongxiu's eyelids twitched, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
“Miss…” Hongxiu’s voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible.
Fang Xiaoxiao was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes: "Hongxiu, you're finally awake, you're finally awake!"
Pei Yan also stepped forward, a happy smile on his face.
The Ryōshō-kaku, located in the bustling inner city of Kyoto, sits on a quiet and elegant street.
Sunlight streamed through the vermilion carved window frames, casting dappled patterns on the antique-style lobby floor.
The lobby is filled with the rich aroma of herbs, and rows of neat medicine cabinets exude the fragrance of time.
Fang Xiaoxiao, dressed in a light blue dress, was intently arranging the medicinal herbs on the table.
Her hair was as black and glossy as ink, simply held up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her fair neck, adding to her gentle and graceful appearance.
Just then, a soft, almost inaudible sound of footsteps, like a gentle breeze rustling through fallen leaves, echoed on the bluestone path outside the hall.
A woman dressed in a gorgeous silk dress slowly stepped across the threshold of Lingxi Pavilion.
Her skirt flowed like colorful clouds, and every step she took carried an elegant yet hesitant rhythm.
The woman had a graceful figure, but her face was mostly hidden by a veil as thin as a cicada's wing.
The veil fluttered gently in the wind, revealing only a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water, yet those eyes were full of sorrow and anxiety, as if they carried countless unspeakable secrets.
"Having heard of the Lingxi Pavilion's excellent medical skills, I have come here specifically to seek treatment."
The woman's voice was like the soft song of a nightingale, yet it carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, echoing gently in the quiet hall.
Fang Xiaoxiao quickly put down the herbs in her hand, a warm and friendly smile blooming on her face as she stepped forward: "Please sit down, young lady. Don't be in a hurry, tell me about your illness slowly."
The woman nodded slightly, took graceful steps, and slowly sat down on a carved pear wood chair.
Her hands unconsciously twisted the delicately embroidered silk handkerchief in her hands, as if the handkerchief was her only support at that moment.
The woman hesitated for a moment, then slowly lifted a corner of her veil.
Fang Xiaoxiao took a closer look and was startled.
Her face, which should have been fair, delicate, and flawless, was now covered with large and small red and swollen sores.
Some of the boils had ulcerated, oozing pale yellow pus mixed with blood, which slowly flowed down the cheeks, emitting a pungent odor.
Those sores, like the claw marks of a demon, wantonly ravaged her once beautiful face, a truly shocking sight.
Fang Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and looked at the woman with focused and gentle eyes: "Miss, this illness seems to have been going on for some time, hasn't it?"
The woman nodded slightly, her voice tinged with bitterness, as if every word was filled with endless pain: "It has been several months, and I have searched for famous doctors all over the capital, but my condition has not improved. Now I have heard that you have excellent medical skills, so I have come to try my luck."
Fang Xiaoxiao nodded gently, extended her slender and long fingers, and placed them on the woman's delicate wrist to take her pulse.
The woman's pulse was weak and disordered, like a flickering candle in the wind.
Fang Xiaoxiao frowned slightly, her doubts growing heavier like layers of fog.
"Young lady, the root cause of this illness is quite complex. Please think carefully about whether there have been any abnormalities in your daily diet and lifestyle, or whether you have come into contact with any unusual objects?"
Fang Xiaoxiao looked at the woman with sincere eyes, her gaze filled with concern and expectation.
The woman's eyes darted away, as if she was deliberately avoiding something. She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "Everything is as usual, nothing special."
Fang Xiaoxiao frowned slightly. She keenly sensed the woman's concealment, but she did not rush to expose her. Instead, she patiently continued to ask about various details.
Her voice was like a gentle stream, soft yet firm: "Young lady, please don't have any worries. Only by telling me the truth can I better treat you."
After some detailed questioning, Fang Xiaoxin gradually formed a bold guess.
Her gaze fell once again on the shocking sores on the woman's face, and she slowly said, "Young lady, in my opinion, your illness is not an ordinary poisoning, but rather the result of long-term inhalation of some kind of poison."