The third day of Yunhe's illness, the smallpox finally broke out.
At first, it was just a few red rashes, appearing on his arms and legs, but then they multiplied, covering his small body densely, making it painful to look at.
Doctor Zhang prescribed medicine that kept him asleep for a long time, so he didn't suffer too much, though his little face was covered in red bumps.
He often frowned in his dreams, and it was unknown if he was still in pain even in his sleep.
The rashes grew larger, even starting to ooze yellow fluid, one overlapping another. Doctor Zhang ordered the two to prick open the pustules and then carefully apply the medicine, which would help them heal faster.
The powder mixed with water turned into a thick black paste, which was applied bit by bit to the broken pustules. Seeing the yellow pus being absorbed, the black paste quickly solidified. A gentle touch with a small wooden stick, and it fell off.
Looking at the broken skin, only faint pinkish-red marks remained.
Indeed, he was a divine doctor; his touch brought such efficacy.
Feng Jinyao was so happy she almost cheered, and Yin Canwen was completely awestruck.
Yet, Doctor Zhang's expression remained stern, and he coldly instructed the two, "Continue!"
As expected, the pustules grew faster than Feng Jinyao and Yin Canwen could treat them. Places that had been treated the day before had new outbreaks today, even larger and more terrifying than yesterday's.
The initial joy of the two instantly plummeted to the bottom. After all, if smallpox were so easy to cure, it wouldn't have instilled such fear.
They patiently continued to prick open the sores and apply medicine, even more meticulously.
Fearing infection from the yellow fluid, Doctor Zhang handed over his usual sheep intestine gloves. They looked wrinkled and somewhat disgusting.
Feng Jinyao glanced down, feeling a bit embarrassed, but compared to getting infected, wearing them was better.
She put on the gloves and continued to apply medicine to Yunhe.
Seeing Yunhe's body and face heal and then break out again, break out and then heal, the once delicate and soft little dumpling was now no different from dried preserved meat, with no good spots left, only broken skin covering broken skin.
Feng Jinyao felt immense heartache. Fortunately, her elder brother and sister-in-law were not present; otherwise, seeing him like this would have been agonizing for them.
Unbeknownst to how many day-night cycles had passed, one morning, Feng Jinyao woke up from a nightmare, still crying out "No."
It turned out she had another nightmare.
Looking at the nascent golden sunlight gradually spreading across the courtyard outside the window, the tension from the nightmare slowly dissipated.
She opened the window for fresh air. The faint smell of vinegar still lingered outside, which Feng Jinyao had grown somewhat accustomed to.
She glanced down at her clothes, which she hadn't changed in days, and felt they were starting to smell.
Once Yunhe recovered, she vowed to soak in a bath for half the day to get rid of the smell.
Outside, the courtyard gate creaked open, and two heavily bundled men walked in. Even from several meters away, Feng Jinyao recognized them.
"Big Brother, Second Brother."
"Ayao, how is he?"
"Still the same, but Yunhe hasn't suffered much; he's been sleeping the whole time."
Feng Jinxu's worry grew with each passing day. Even without seeing it firsthand, he knew the situation inside was perilous.
He tried to move forward again but was held back by Feng Er.
"Big Brother, we've finally reached this point. Isn't going in now going to ruin everything?"
The day Feng Er knocked Feng Jinxu unconscious and took him away, Feng Jinxu woke up in a furious rage. Not only was he severely scolded by Feng Hai, but he was also told that if he disregarded his family, old and young, he could go. With filial piety upon him, how could he cause more trouble?
Therefore, for the past few days, he had only been responsible for delivering food and hearing a few words about the situation inside from Ayao each day, knowing nothing else.
How could he not understand the intentions of everyone's actions? But he felt a great debt to Yunhe. At this moment, as a father, he couldn't be by his side, and that feeling of indebtedness grew even stronger.
"Big Brother, don't forget what Doctor Zhang said. Hold on for a few more days, and perhaps Yunhe will recover."
Although she said this, Feng Jinyao's heart was also uneasy.
The increasingly severe pustules each day made her doubt the effectiveness of the medicine, but she couldn't let outsiders know this, or Feng Jinxu would be the first to rush in.
She forced herself to calm down and looked at her brothers with a faint smile.
Perhaps it was her certainty and persistence that gradually calmed Feng Jinxu's agitated mind.
"Today is New Year's Eve. I'll have the kitchen make some of your favorite dishes and send them over later. It's the first time we haven't celebrated the festival together. Alas." Feng Jinlin was worried that his elder brother would barge in and delay Yunhe's treatment, and he was also concerned about Ayao's situation inside. He could only try to lighten the mood with casual conversation.
Feng Jinyao truly felt like she had lost track of day and night in the room. How had it already become New Year's Eve? She glanced back at Yunhe, still sleeping soundly in bed, and her resolve grew stronger.
"It's alright. Once Yunhe gets better, we'll have a reunion dinner as a family."
"Okay, we'll wait."
Feng Er and Feng Jinyao exchanged a smile, and finally, they half-dragged, half-pulled Feng Jinxu away.
After they had been gone for a while, Feng Jinyao opened the door to retrieve the food box. Turning around, she saw the previous days' food boxes piled in the corner and couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Fortunately, the Feng family had plenty of things; otherwise, these food boxes that only went in and didn't come out wouldn't be enough.
Perhaps the sound of their conversation had roused them, as Doctor Zhang and Yin Canwen in the adjacent room also woke up. After a simple wash, they came over. Upon seeing the food box, Doctor Zhang felt a pang of homesickness.
"Today is New Year's Eve. I wonder what my old wife is eating. She's so forgetful; if no one watches her, she might not eat properly."
Doctor Zhang's worry was evident. How could he have known that once he came, he wouldn't be able to return, and now he didn't know when they would be reunited. He felt a hint of resentment.
As for Yin Canwen, his elders had all passed away, and his thoughts were held in his heart. At this moment, he had no particular worries.
Opening the food box, he saw it was quite a feast today.
"Second Brother mentioned yesterday that everything at home is safe, and no one has been infected. Father said that if all is well in another half a month, the servants can go out to buy provisions. Otherwise, I fear we'll have to dig for roots in the back mountain."
His words amused Doctor Zhang, dispelling his slight melancholy.
Yin Canwen obediently laid out the breakfast nearby. After the three of them ate simply, Doctor Zhang, as usual, took Yunhe's pulse and changed his dressing.
After concentrating for a moment, his usually stern expression finally relaxed.
Looking at Feng Jinyao, his eyes finally held a hint of a smile. "It's done. The most dangerous period has passed. From now on, rest carefully and expel the toxins. The young master will fully recover."