Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 364

Butter tea was a special food from Tibet, and Gu Yin had traveled there before.

At first, she wasn’t accustomed to it, but after drinking it a few times, she found it to be unique. When she returned, she experimented with it. However, the bowl in her hand had a different smell.

She furrowed her brow slightly, and Wu Qingyi asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yin replied, “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something doesn’t seem right. It appears to have the scent of medicinal herbs.”

With her keen sense of taste, if Gu Yin mentioned it, there had to be an issue.

Wu Qingyi stood up and suggested, “Why don’t you ask my master to take a look?” The old medical expert lived in the mansion, so it wouldn’t be much trouble to invite him over. Wu Qingyi could go and fetch him.

The old doctor had dinner with everyone. Just as he was about to retire for the night, he was summoned again, and he muttered under his breath, “This is not a good thing, definitely not!”

He grumbled but proceeded to examine the bowl of butter tea. After a while, the elderly doctor identified several medicinal herbs. Since no one present was well-versed in pharmacology, he explained, “This is a concoction that renders people unable to speak, effectively making them mute.”

Gu Yin immediately glanced at Gu Ye who said, “Brother Xiao Feng mentioned that his throat had been dry and sore lately, and he might need a day off. He consulted a doctor, but the doctor only attributed it to fatigue, not poisoning.” The old doctor waved his hand and clarified, “These individual medicinal ingredients aren’t poisonous on their own. It’s the combination of several different substances that creates the poison and harms the body. Moreover, most physicians are unfamiliar with this formula. I’ve heard that some prominent families use it on their servants to make them permanently mute, guarding their secrets closely.”

“Brother Xiao Feng…”

“A child’s resistance to a medicine isn’t as strong as that of an adult. He can still speak and even sing, so he probably didn’t consume much of it. He’s fortunate. While I’ve heard about this concoction, I haven’t studied it, and I don’t have access to an antidote if he has indeed ingested it,” the old doctor solemnly explained.

Gu Ye nodded vigorously and turned to Gu Yin, asking, “Mother, can I bring Brother Xiao Feng here?”

Although the old doctor said that Xiao Feng was definitely not losing his voice, he must let the old immortal doctor see for himself, to be reassured. 

Gu Yin considered the situation and then said, “Shiliu, arrange for a carriage and tell them that we have a relative who is fond of opera and would like to see the performance, so we’re inviting him to join us to perform. If it runs late, we have plenty of guest rooms, and he can stay over. Just remember to act naturally.”

Song Shiliu, who had become increasingly efficient in assisting with various tasks, promptly organized the carriage and delivered the message.

The night performance at the Jixiang Theater was already underway and would continue until the curfew. Song Shiliu was quite familiar with the place, having accompanied Mrs. Wang to watch the play several times. However, her lack of privilege to access backstage meant that she had to rely on others to deliver the invitation.

Meanwhile, Xiao Feng had consumed the soup Gu Ye brought earlier, which had provided some relief. Nevertheless, his throat was starting to burn again, and speaking had become a challenge.

Under normal circumstances, he should have rested immediately. However, since someone from Gu Ye’s family had invited him, he promptly removed his makeup and changed his clothes.

The pretty Hua Dan who had just finished performing with him heard that a maid from Gu Ye’s house had come to invite them to sing, so he went out together with him.

Observing that, Song Shiliu handed Xiao Feng a cloak that Gu Ye often wore at home before making her exit.

However, the pretty Hua Dan quickly spoke up, “Hey, miss, I’m part of the troupe. If you’re inviting someone, why not invite me along?”

The troupe members were unaware of Gu Ye’s connection to the Duke Ying’s household. All they knew was that he was a young master associated with “Food of Heaven.” Nevertheless, in their eyes, the owner of such a large restaurant was considered quite wealthy.

Inviting them to sing typically came with a small reward, which, for people like them, could cover their meals for half a year or even a year. That was why the pretty Hua Dan had approached them.

As the curfew approached, Song Shiliu knew it could be quite challenging to pass through the guards even though she had her own waist badge. Therefore, she didn’t waste time explaining the situation and simply stated as she walked alongside Xiao Feng, “Our Madam has invited Xiao Feng only.”

Together with the accompanying servants, Song Shiliu and Xiao Feng made their way out.

The incident attracted the attention of many onlookers, as Hua Dan hurriedly tried to join the group. However, being left behind became the subject of mockery by some bystanders.

Some among the crowd sneered, mocking him for his eagerness to accompany the wealthy but being overlooked by them in the end.

Hua Dan felt both embarrassed and angry, but the theater owner stepped in to disperse the crowd, urging the spectators to head home before the curfew.