Ning'an Residence.
Vivi frowned when she heard Lucas coughing again and again from inside the room.
Because of Lucas's sudden coughing attack, Wuner didn't feel like teaching Vivi the basic exercises anymore, so he gave her a break.
Under the corridor, Vivi quickly grabbed Wuner just as he was about to carry medicine into the room. She whispered, "Wuner, how's Lucas doing? I've seen you bring medicine in again and again, but he's still not better."
Wuner looked troubled and said, "Every year when autumn comes and the weather gets cold, Lucas starts coughing again. He's been drinking medicine for years, but now it doesn't help much."
"Then why didn't they change the medicine?" Vivi asked in surprise. "If it's not working anymore, it needs to be changed."
"We did. At first, changing it helped for a few years. But later, even new medicines didn't work well. The doctors in the capital can't even treat a small coughing illness like this."
"Cough, cough, cough…" Another round of coughing came from inside.
Wuner stopped talking and said to Vivi, "I'll go in now. Lucas is waiting for his medicine."
Vivi nodded and stepped aside to let him pass.
After Wuner went inside, Vivi looked at Lucas's room and thought for a while. Then her eyes lit up with an idea.
She looked at Liuv, who was standing guard at the door, and motioned for him to come over with her finger.
Liuv was two years younger than Wuner. He was a cold and proud teenager.
When he saw Vivi's hand gesture, he looked annoyed but still walked toward her. His tone was not polite, "What do you want?"
Vivi asked quietly, "Do you know where I can find some mugwort?"
"What do you need mugwort for?" Liuv looked at her with a confused face.
"Have you heard of soaking feet in mugwort leaves?"
"…?"
"It's okay if you haven't. Just tell me where I can find some."
"It's autumn now, not the season to pick mugwort. I don't know where to find it, but maybe you can ask if there's any dried mugwort in the storage room."
Vivi's eyes lit up with hope. "That's right. I can ask Maid Yue if the storage has any."
Maid Yue was Madam Yon's main maid. She had many connections and would know how to help.
Thinking of this, Vivi gave Liuv a sweet smile. "Okay. I understand now. Thank you, Liuv."
Liuv gave her a deep look but didn't say anything. He turned and walked away.
Vivi saw how stiff his steps were and noticed that his ears turned slightly red when he turned around. She smiled secretly. Was he shy?
Looks like men of all ages couldn't resist when a cute girl called them "brother" in a sweet voice.
But she still had something important to do.
Thinking of that, Vivi pushed aside her playful thoughts and left Ning'an Residence, heading straight for Maid Yue's place.
"Maid Yue, you're back," Vivi said after waiting outside her room for a long time. Finally, she saw Maid Yue return from her duties.
"Malia, what are you doing here?" Maid Yue was surprised to see her.
"I need your help," Vivi said directly.
"Come inside and have some tea. Tell me everything."
Maid Yue unlocked her door and let Vivi into the room.
"What do you need mugwort for?" she asked, curious after hearing Vivi's request.
"Actually, it's mugwort leaves. Lucas keeps coughing. I want to use mugwort leaves for a foot soak. Do you know where I can get some?" Vivi explained.
"You think soaking his feet in mugwort will help his cough?" Maid Yue had served Madam Yon for many years and knew all about Lucas's illness.
"Well, I'm not really sure. But mugwort is good for warming the body and improving blood flow. Since Lucas always starts coughing when the weather gets cold, I thought even if it doesn't cure him, it might help him feel warmer and ease the coughing a little." Vivi wasn't completely confident, but she thought that since cold often enters through the feet, soaking them could be helpful.
"This... After soaking, will it cause any problems for the young master's health?" Maid Yue was still a little hesitant.
"Maid Yue, don't worry. Mugwort is mild in nature. Even ordinary people like us can use it. There won't be any problems," Vivi patiently explained.
"Alright, I'll go report to Madam Yon first, then we'll head to the storage to get the dried mugwort. We picked a lot at the beginning of summer this year, and since we didn't use much for the Dragon Boat Festival, there should still be plenty left."
"Okay, Maid Yue, I'll wait here for you. Please come back quickly."
Vivi didn't mind at all that Maid Yue wanted to report to Madam Yon. If the head of the household didn't approve using the mugwort, Vivi wouldn't dare use it for Lucas, even if she managed to get some from elsewhere.
Soon, Maid Yue returned.
Since this involved her son's illness, Madam Yon approved without hesitation and even told Maid Yue they could take as much as they needed.
Vivi gave Maid Yue a big thumbs up. "Maid Yue, well done."
With Madam Yon's permission, Maid Yue and Vivi practically emptied the storage of mugwort. As they left, they saw the warehouse manager looking at them in shock.
It had to be said that Maid Yue's status as a senior maid still carried weight. When Vivi casually mentioned it was hard to carry everything, Maid Yue immediately found two young servants to help move the mugwort to Ning'an Courtyard.
Seeing how helpful Maid Yue was, Vivi took the chance to ask her for some gauze and thread, planning to make mugwort packs.
Getting these items was no trouble for Maid Yue. She told Vivi to wait at Ning'an Courtyard and promised to bring them soon.
About half an hour later, as evening approached, Maid Yue hurried back.
Inside Vivi's room at Ning'an Courtyard
"Take a look, is this gauze and thread enough?" Maid Yue had gathered some from the other maids.
"It's more than enough, Maid Yue, you're truly my lucky star."
"You're sweet with your words, aren't you?"
"I'm just being honest. If you hadn't helped get the mugwort, thread, and gauze, I wouldn't even know where to start." Vivi spoke playfully.
Maid Yue smiled helplessly, eyes full of fondness.
"Malia, it's getting late. I need to head back." Maid Yue stood to leave, having delivered the supplies.
"Alright, I'll walk you out." Vivi got up to see her off.
At the courtyard gate, Maid Yue stopped her. Vivi had no choice but to turn back to her room.
Vivi carefully selected some mugwort leaves, rinsed them clean, wrapped them in gauze, and tied them with thread. A simple mugwort pack was ready.
She then went to the servants' kitchen and boiled a large pot of mugwort water.
After all the effort, by the time Vivi returned to Ning'an Courtyard, night had completely fallen.
Vivi struggled to carry the wooden bucket filled with mugwort water into the courtyard. Looking around, she didn't see her most familiar face, Wuner. Instead, she turned to Yinu, who was on night watch by the door.
"Yinu," Vivi jogged over and softly said, "can you come with me for a moment?"
Yinu nodded and followed her.
"Yinu, I noticed Lucas's coughing has gotten worse lately. I prepared this mugwort water for him. Mugwort helps with circulation and clearing coldness. It may not cure his cough, but it should ease some of his cold symptoms. Please help me bring it in and let him soak his feet in it." Vivi pointed to the wooden bucket as she explained.
Yinu looked at Vivi in surprise, then lowered his head to stare at the dark mugwort water without saying a word.
Seeing his silence, Vivi grew anxious and added, "I promise it's not poisonous or harmful in any way. Mugwort is safe. You've seen it before. I..."
"I believe you," Yinu interrupted her. "Thank you for putting so much thought into Lucas's health. I'll take this in for him right now."
He patted Vivi's shoulder and carried the bucket away.
Watching Yinu's figure disappear, Vivi felt relieved and returned to her room to rest.
Inside the residence
Lucas pointed at the bucket filled with black water and asked, "You said this was brought by that girl?"
Yinu nodded and said, "Would you like to try it?"
Lucas stared silently at the black water for a moment before finally saying, "She said it's not poisonous or harmful, so let's give it a try."