Chapter 51: After Rain Recovers

Chapter 51: After Yushui Recovers from Illness

That night, after Yushui fell asleep, He Yuzhu got up two or three times, checking on her room each time, terrified that her fever might return during the night.

Early the next morning, He Yuzhu woke up and, instead of heading straight to the kitchen to cook as he usually did, he quietly slipped over to Yushui's room.

Finding Yushui still fast asleep, her breathing slightly obstructed—likely due to a stuffy nose, though thankfully there was no coughing—He Yuzhu gently reached out and touched her forehead. It wasn't burning up. He finally let out a sigh of complete relief.

Leaving Yushui's room, He Yuzhu went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Since Yushui hadn't fully recovered yet, he cooked a pot of millet porridge, boiled some tea eggs, mixed up a small dish of seasoned pickles with sesame oil, and took out a few steamed leek and egg vegetarian buns from his spatial storage.

Seeing that it was getting late, He Yuzhu went to Yushui's room to wake her up. "Yushui, time to get up and eat."

Hearing someone calling her, Yushui blinked her drowsy eyes open.

He Yuzhu prompted, "Yushui, get up for breakfast."

Yushui rubbed her eyes and began to put on her clothes, while He Yuzhu went out to set the breakfast on the living room table.

After washing up, Yushui came over to eat. Her appetite was quite good, and she had returned to her normal portion size.

After the siblings finished breakfast and He Yuzhu cleaned up, he took out a thermometer. "Yushui, come here. Let's take your temperature again."

Cooperatively, Yushui tucked the thermometer under her armpit. "Brother, I'm all better now. Can I go outside and play?"

He Yuzhu scolded gently, "You just started getting better and you already want to go outside? Have you forgotten how you got sick in the first place?"

"I promise I won't run around," Yushui quickly assured him, promising to be a good girl and stay put.

He Yuzhu said, "It's about time. Take out the thermometer and let me check first."

Obediently, Yushui pulled out the thermometer and handed it to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu took it and glanced at it—just under 37 degrees Celsius. Good, no fever.

"Well? Am I cured?" Yushui asked eagerly.

"Your fever is gone, but you still can't go outside today. You just recovered, and if you go out and catch a chill again, you'll end up in the hospital." He Yuzhu still wouldn't let Yushui go out to play.

"Oh," Yushui replied, her enthusiasm dimming upon hearing she couldn't go out.

"Alright, how about your brother plays Gomoku with you?" Seeing that Yushui was bored, He Yuzhu offered to play a game with her.

"Yay!" Yushui cheered happily when she heard He Yuzhu would keep her company.

He Yuzhu brought out the Go board he had bought previously, placed it on the living room table, and they sat on opposite sides.

"Gomoku means getting five pieces in a row first wins. Horizontal, vertical, or diagonal all count," He Yuzhu explained, placing stones on the board to show her how to win.

"Okay, I get it. Let's start!" Yushui said, eager to try.

And so, the siblings began trading moves on the board. At first, He Yuzhu won every game. Later, once Yushui fully grasped the rules—and with He Yuzhu deliberately letting her win a few times—Yushui claimed quite a few victories herself.

Time flies when you are having fun. After another win by Yushui, He Yuzhu checked the time and realized it was time for lunch.

He Yuzhu said, "Alright, it's noon, time for lunch. Are you hungry?"

"A little bit hungry," Yushui admitted, reminded by He Yuzhu.

"I'll go make lunch. You tidy up the chess pieces and the board," He Yuzhu told her to clean the table while he headed to the kitchen to cook.

"Okay, Brother!" Yushui readily agreed and neatly put all the pieces away.

Lunch was still primarily vegetable-based, but with an extra plate of sweet and sour pork strips (guobaorou), which Yushui loved.

After lunch, He Yuzhu cleared the table and told Yushui to take a nap.

"Yushui, rest for a bit. Once you wake up, Brother will play with you more." He Yuzhu reached out and felt Yushui's forehead; it was cool.

Obediently, Yushui went back to her room to sleep.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu stayed in his own room, using wood to craft a Ludo board.

When Yushui woke up from her afternoon nap, He Yuzhu taught her how to play Ludo.

The whole day passed just like that.

On the second day, shortly after He Yuzhu and Yushui finished breakfast, a knock sounded at the door.

He Yuzhu went outside, opened the courtyard gate, and saw his master's wife standing there with Fan Yao and Xiaohu.

He Yuzhu greeted them, "Master's wife, why are you all here? Come on in, quickly."

Walking inside, the master's wife said, "We didn't see you yesterday, so I came to check on you. These two kids had nothing to do at home, so they tagged along."

Seeing everyone enter the house, Yushui was overjoyed. Now she had people to play with! She immediately called out to Xiaohu and Fan Yao, "Xiaohu, Sister Yaoyao, come over here quickly! My brother made a Ludo game, and it's so much fun."

Hearing this, Xiaohu and Fan Yao rushed right over to Yushui's side, eagerly listening to her explain the rules.

He Yuzhu poured a cup of water for his master's wife, placed it on the table, and explained, "Yushui caught a cold and ran a fever the morning before yesterday, so I didn't take her out."

"Is Yushui all better now?" The master's wife glanced at the three children playing together. "You were right not to let her out. Best not to let her catch another cold just as she's recovered."

After asking He Yuzhu about Yushui's condition, the master's wife stood up and said, "I'll head back for now. I'll leave Yaoyao and Xiaohu here to keep Yushui company so she doesn't get bored alone. I'll come pick them up in the afternoon."

He Yuzhu stood up to escort her out, saying, "Why not let Fan Yao and Xiaohu stay here for a few days? They're on winter break anyway."

After a moment of thought, the master's wife agreed, "Alright, let them play here for a few days."

After seeing off the master's wife, He Yuzhu returned and told the children that she had agreed to let them stay and play for a few days.

"Yay! That's wonderful!" the three of them cheered.

"Alright, alright, stop shouting. Go back to playing," He Yuzhu stopped their hollering.

"Brother Zhuzi, where are you going? Aren't you going to play with us?" Fan Yao asked.

He Yuzhu replied, "I'm going to make a few more board games for you guys so you can take turns playing."

The entire day was spent by the three children playing Ludo and Gomoku.

By evening, He Yuzhu had also finished crafting a game of land battle chess (Junqi) and checkers (Flight chess/Chinese checkers) for them to play the next day.

When it was time for bed, the three children were still enthusiastically playing Ludo.

He Yuzhu intervened, "Alright, stop playing, all of you. Go wash up and get ready for bed. Otherwise, no games for you tomorrow."

Faced with He Yuzhu's threat, the three reluctantly put down their game pieces and went to wash up.

He Yuzhu brought out the spare quilts and made up the beds.

When the three finished washing up and came back, He Yuzhu arranged, "Tonight, Fan Yao and Yushui will sleep together, and Xiaohu, you'll sleep with me."

"No way! I want to sleep with Sister and Yushui," Xiaohu objected.

"You're a big boy now, you can't sleep with the girls anymore," He Yuzhu thought to himself that if the three of them were crammed together, they'd never get any sleep.

Aggrieved, Xiaohu said, "Fine, I'll sleep with you."

Under He Yuzhu's firm authority, Xiaohu had no choice but to agree to sleep with him.