All Hail Cousin Brother

145 Cousin, Save Me!

Yu Shuangbai felt a little sad, so she said, “I’ve thought about it carefully. I’m already an adult, but compared to my sisters at home, I’m not scholarly. I’m not good at studying, and I’m not good at needlework. I’ll make you worry. Yesterday, when I saw Big Sister making tea, I felt that it was interesting and novel, so I wanted to learn tea techniques. It’s also an elegant skill. In the future, I won’t be a laughing stock outside.”

These words stunned Madam Yao.

Yu Shuangbai continued, “I’m also greedy. I feel that I can still put some effort into food, so I plan to learn that too. Mother, what do you think?”

She looked up at her mother.

Madam Yao came back to her senses and smiled. “I’ll immediately get someone to find a powerful tea master to teach you well. As for your culinary skills, learn how to make some exquisite snacks. Learn them when you have time. Don’t tire yourself out.”

Yu Shuangbai returned to the courtyard happily.

Madam Yao hurriedly called Nanny Chen over. “Hurry up and ask around. Find out who are the best tea masters in the capital. Shuang’er is taking the initiative to learn tea arts. I have to find a good teacher for her.”

When Nanny Chen heard this, she was overjoyed. “Sister has grown up and become more sensible. Madam, you have to be at ease in the future.”

When Madam Yao heard this, she paused for a moment. “I heard that Yao Yao has been learning the zither recently? I have a good zither score in my collection, and it’s a rare one. It’s all thanks to Yao Yao. Find the score and send it to her.”

Even as her mother, she hadn’t thought that Shuang’er liked interesting and novel things. However, Yao Yao had thought of these things and even made Shuang’er interested in tea.

Sixth Sister, Yu Fangfei, was younger than the other sisters, so she had to study harder. As time passed, she could no longer keep up. She was originally an innocent girl, but as time passed, she became more sensitive and inferior. Every time she returned to her room to greet them, she would lower her head and ask questions.

It was also because Yao Yao had been improving recently and was doing well in her studies. Yu Fangfei often borrowed her notes and asked her for guidance if there was anything she didn’t understand. Soon, her studies improved greatly.

In the first few days, she heard that Ms. Ye had even praised her once. She seemed to have become more cheerful.

It was rare that Yao Yao had grown up and knew how to take care of her sisters.

Yu Youyao was very happy to receive the zither score from Madam Yao.

When she found out that Yu Shuangbai not only wanted to learn tea techniques, but also make some snacks, she also found two good snack recipes and asked Nanny Chen to bring them back for Yu Shuangbai.

At night, Yu Youyao fell asleep and returned to the side courtyard of the Zhenguo Marquis Residence.

Two stout old maids were holding her head and feet down so that she couldn’t move.

Nanny Qin, who was serving Yu Jianjia, picked up a slender silver needle and inserted it into her chest, straight into her heart.

She cried and even begged in pain. Only when a drop of blood emerged from her heart and Nanny Qin placed it in a white jade bowl did she take out the needle and ask the old maids to let go of her.

She clutched her chest as she lay on the bed, in so much pain that she couldn’t even breathe…

“Cousin, save me…” Yu Youyao screamed.

Zhou Linghuai suddenly woke up with a start. His pupils constricted rapidly, and he panted heavily. It was lonely in the dark night.

Chang An, who was on duty outside, heard the commotion and quickly entered the room. He saw his young master sitting on the bed in a thin shirt. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his face was pale and gloomy.

“Young Master, did you have another nightmare?” Chang An took a robe from the rack and draped it over his young master. The room was a little cold, and he was worried that his young master had caught a cold.

Zhou Linghuai didn’t seem to hear him. He let out a series of coughing sounds from his throat, and his chest kept rising and falling violently. Yu Youyao’s shrill cry still echoed in his ears. “Cousin, save me!”

Her shrill voice was filled with despair.

He couldn’t help but think of the little girl’s empty eyes.

“Yao Yao!” Zhou Linghuai’s eyes were about to crack. His entire heart was like a ball of paper, and the pain of being crushed inch by inch made him almost unable to breathe.

“Young Master, Young Master…” Chang An was very worried. He called out a few times, but there was no reaction from Young Master. He was in a trance due to the nightmare.

In the past three years, Young Master had nightmares almost every day. He would wake up from them every night. It was only after coming to the Yu Residence that he had fewer nightmares.

Zhou Linghuai seemed to have woken up from a dream as his hands suddenly tightened around the blanket.

Naturally, the dream was fake!

But his feelings were so clear!

It was as if all of this had really happened.

“What time is it now?” Zhou Linghuai’s voice was hoarse and a little piercing. After he woke up, he immediately felt a dull pain in his knees, as if someone had taken a rusty ax and chopped his head off.

It was excruciating, but it hurt even more than usual.

Sweat beaded his forehead again.

“It’s past 2:00 a.m.” Seeing that his young master was not in a good mood, Chang An became even more worried. In the past, after his young master woke up from his nightmare, he could quickly adjust his emotions. However, something seemed to be different today.

Just now, he seemed to have heard his young master call out, “Yao Yao?”

Could it be that Young Master’s dream just now was related to Yu Youyao?

Zhou Linghuai tilted his head to look out of the window and heard the sound of rain. He muttered, “It’s raining…”

Chang An did not hear what he said and looked out of the window.

It was raining outside, and the weather was damp and cold. He was worried that he would catch a cold, so he closed the windows tightly. “Young Master, it’s still early. You should sleep again.”

Zhou Linghuai’s leg hurt badly, so he didn’t want to sleep anymore. “Let’s go wash up!”

“But…” Chang An opened his mouth. After Young Master had injured his leg, every time it rained, the weather would be wet and cold, and his leg disease would act up. Every time it hurt, he would take medicine and have needle therapy. He had tried all kinds of methods, but none of them worked. It had rained tonight, and he was worried that Young Master’s leg would hurt, causing him to not sleep all night.

Zhou Linghuai said calmly, “Today is the ninth day. I think the wood should be ready by now. I’ll go over and take a look to prevent any mistakes.”

Chang An opened his mouth again—

Young Master had not had a good rest for eight or nine consecutive days. In the first few days, he did not sleep at all. He stayed by the bed day and night and did not even go to school.

It was also because most of the wood had dried that it did not need to be placed in the kiln to be heated with charcoal. It only needed to be baked close to the fire. He closed his eyes every day but he could not sleep for more than an hour. He had to get up and go to the kiln room to take a look to feel at ease.

In the first few days, Young Master had felt the change in the weather and his legs were uncomfortable. Once the rain fell, his legs would definitely hurt again.

Even so, he was still focused on the Paulownia wood. He did not think that if this continued, his body would be exhausted.

Chang An watched as his young master opened his mouth but closed it again. His lips moved, but he decided not to say anything. Even if he did, his young master wouldn’t listen to him.