Chapter 316: Being a Guard Is Difficult
Long Er was pondering in his heart.
Master’s ears were red—was he being shy?
Was it after learning that Young Master Yan was a woman that their master became shy?
Although he was just as curious as Long San in his heart, he didn’t have the courage to discuss it with Long San.
He gave Long San a cold look and reminded him: “You know what kind of temper Master has. Be careful that curiosity kills the cat.”
Long San’s expression changed, and he quickly shut his mouth, saying nothing more.
Long Yu personally went to the kitchen, frightening the kitchen manager and head cooks into a flurry of panic.
Old Jin was busy stewing red date brown sugar porridge and chicken soup for Yan Xiaosi. When he saw that tall, upright figure in the doorway, he was so startled he nearly dropped his ladle.
“Your Highness, why did you come personally to get breakfast? You only need to give an order for such things.”
Long Yu glanced at the two clay pots bubbling on the stove.
“You’re stewing chicken soup and red date brown sugar porridge?”
Hearing this tone, Old Jin looked puzzled: “Weren’t these two things ordered by you?”
“This king did order them. When they’re ready, send them to the military tent immediately. Xiaosi is still waiting.”
Old Jin knew that the red date brown sugar porridge and chicken soup were being made for Yan Xiaosi. He had heard from Long Yi earlier that Yan Xiaosi was ill.
“Your Highness, is Little Yan feeling better? That child is clearly a doctor himself, yet doesn’t know how to properly take care of his own body.”
Hearing Old Jin’s words full of concern for Yan Xiaosi, Long Yu patiently replied: “Murong Qinjian has examined him. He’s much better now.”
“That’s good, that’s good.”
“Are there meat buns this morning?”
“Yes, yes, yes, there are meat buns, dumplings, steamed bread, and cabbage soup.”
Old Jin quickly filled a bowl with hot meat buns and dumplings, and also ladled a bowl of freshly made cabbage soup, then prepared to have someone send it to the commander’s tent.
Just as he was about to call someone, Long Yu extended his hand: “Give it to this king.”
When Long Yu returned carrying the steaming breakfast, Yan Xiaosi was curled up on the bed with her brow tightly furrowed, both hands gripping the bed sheets.
The bed sheets had been wrinkled into a ball by her grip.
She hadn’t expected that this body’s first menstruation would be so painful.
It seemed that childhood malnutrition, combined with not having good clothes and shoes to wear, had led to a cold constitution.
“Are you in pain again?”
Long Yu entered and, seeing her condition, hurriedly set the breakfast on the table and walked over quickly, wanting to lift her and place her on his lap.
Yan Xiaosi struggled.
“I haven’t put on the menstrual cloth yet. Be careful not to get blood all over you.”
“Be quiet.”
Long Yu frowned and scolded, forcibly placing her on his lap while his warm large hand gently massaged her abdomen.
While massaging, he asked: “When women have their monthly flow, are they all this uncomfortable?”
Yan Xiaosi leaned half her body against his chest and answered weakly: “Not necessarily. Only people with cold constitutions suffer like this. I was raised as a boy from childhood, just like the village boys, running around barefoot in summer. I probably let cold qi enter my body, which is why it’s like this.”
Long Yu felt silently heartbroken.
“Can a cold constitution be cured?”
Thinking that Yan Xiaosi would have to endure such pain every month during her flow, his heart felt heavy.
“It can be cured. After this flow ends, I’ll prepare some warming and uterus-nourishing medicine for myself. It won’t take long to get better.”
“What medicinal materials are needed to treat this condition?”
Yan Xiaosi felt somewhat better and teased: “Your Highness, are you planning to help me gather medicinal materials for treating gynecological conditions?”
“Mm, tell me.”
Actually, there were uterus-warming medications for treating painful menstruation in her Portable Space, like black chicken and white phoenix pills, and so on.
However, Yan Xiaosi felt she couldn’t disappoint His Highness the War King’s kind intentions. After thinking, she said with a smile: “Goji berry black chicken soup, fish soup, bone soup—eating more of these would be good.”
Long Yu: “…”
He somehow felt that this little thing was using her illness as an excuse to find good food for herself.
Seeing his expression that showed he had seen through her little trick, Yan Xiaosi maintained a perfectly serious demeanor: “Your Highness, I’m not doing this just to eat. Black chicken soup, fish soup, and bone soup are all warming and nourishing things. Goji berries are also warming medicinal materials. They’re most suitable for me.”
“Mm, I’ll make a menu later and have the kitchen prepare these for you daily.”
Yan Xiaosi was moved to starry-eyed emotion.
“Are you feeling better? Do you want to eat the buns?”
The person who had said she wanted buns to tide her over ate two large buns in one go, plus a bowl of cabbage soup.
After eating and drinking her fill, lying on the bed with her body comfortable, her lower abdomen no longer cramping, even her period had stopped flowing heavily.
Yan Xiaosi’s mood improved considerably.
When there’s too much blood loss, nourishment is indeed still necessary.
Long Yu stood by the bed looking down at her: “In your condition, can you still eat the chicken soup and red date porridge?”
Yan Xiaosi let out a loud burp.
“Save them for lunch.”
“Very well.”
An hour later, Long Yi returned carrying a bag of menstrual cloths, looking extremely embarrassed.
As a seasoned bachelor, he didn’t know how many menstrual cloths a woman needed for one monthly flow, so after reaching Daxing Town, he ran to several shops selling women’s items and bought out all the menstrual cloths from those shops, gathering a full bag.
He thought: This many should be enough for Young Master Yan—no, Young Miss Yan to use.
However, handling this matter wasn’t entirely smooth. At every shop, the proprietresses stared at him with expressions of envy, jealousy, or like he was some kind of monster.
(“Young master, buying menstrual cloths for your wife? Your wife is truly blessed.”)
(“Young master, you’re buying so many menstrual cloths—how many wives and concubines do you have?”)
(“Young master, you’re buying so many menstrual cloths—did you prepare some for your old mother too?”)
(“Young master, are you planning to go into the menstrual cloth business at the pleasure quarter?”)
(“What a playboy, a real stallion.”)
In one morning, he had been both praised and thoroughly scolded. Long Yi felt utterly helpless.
Having followed his master for so many years, this task was truly the most difficult.
“Master, the monthly—”
Yan Xiaosi heard Long Yi’s neither high nor low voice coming from outside the tent and was delighted: “Long Yi is back.”
Long Yu interrupted Long Yi’s words and said in a deep voice: “Come in.”
Long Yi entered carrying a bag of menstrual cloths, glanced at Yan Xiaosi still nestled in the bedding, and sighed at the unfairness of fate.
“Young Master Yan, here are the things you requested.”
Yan Xiaosi took the full bag and was stunned speechless.
The menstrual cloths of this era were reusable—cloth strips filled with cotton or plant ash. After use, the cotton or plant ash would be emptied out, the cloth strips washed, and refilled with new cotton or plant ash for next time.
With Long Yi buying back so many, it seemed she wouldn’t need to buy menstrual cloths for the rest of her life.
The corner of her mouth twitched severely as she looked at Long Yi with a beaming smile and thanked him very sincerely: “Thank you, Guard Long Yi. How much did these things cost? I’ll give it to you when it’s convenient.”