The mountain cave they had found wasn't exactly small, but it also wasn't large enough to accommodate everyone. At most, it could only shelter fifty or so people.
In the end, after careful consideration, Lord Wu decided: the constables, along with children and women without raincoats, would be allowed inside to take shelter from the rain. The rest would have to stay outside.
Of course, Lord Wu wasn't entirely heartless. He also ordered his subordinates—those who went into the cave—to hand over their straw raincoats so that the men stuck outside in the rain could divide them among themselves.
However, because the entire Qian clan held a grudge against Qian Shouzheng's family, the men from their household weren't given even a single raincoat.
As a result, the former Vice Minister of Revenue had to huddle with his two sons, using broad leaves they picked from the ground to shield themselves from the rain.
As for why they didn't go ask Sun Juanfang for help—well, they couldn't bring themselves to swallow their pride. Besides, after observing her these past days, the Qian family had come to understand that asking her for a raincoat was nothing but a pipe dream.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Qian Yuelan was a bit dazed. Everything that had happened in this life felt so different from her past life. The biggest change was that her legitimate mother, who was supposed to have died early on, was still alive and well.
Unfortunately, her earlier plan to get close to Qian Lanting had failed. She had hoped to cozy up to this eldest sister and steal the silver notes hidden inside the lining of her short jacket.
Having lived a second life, she naturally knew how important those silver notes were—they were the Qian family's only hope of establishing a foothold in Beihuang. It was a pity she ended up empty-handed.
Still, the thought that this eldest sister would soon die of illness after catching cold tonight lifted Qian Yuelan's spirits.
In her heart, she silently prayed,
"Dear heavens, I beg of you, please don't let the events of this life change again."
But with Sun Juanfang now in the picture, her sincere plea would naturally go unanswered.
That night, quite a few people in the group started running fevers—mainly children under ten and some elderly folks.
Doctor Yuan, who had a few medicinal packets on hand, wasn't about to hand them out for free. He had a wife and children to support, after all.
So Doctor Yuan clearly stated the price: one tael of silver for a dose of medicine to ward off the cold. Not a copper less.
The price was steep, but in this desolate area, with no village in sight, even expensive medicine was better than nothing.
Some who still had money decided to buy the medicine. After all, what use was money if you were dead?
On the Qian family's side, Qian Dasao's two children both fell ill. However, the old matriarch was only willing to pay for the eldest grandson's treatment. As for the granddaughter, she suggested the girl tough it out.
This greatly displeased Qian Dasao. The old woman was holding onto money that came from her own dowry, yet she still wielded it to exert control. But seeing her husband standing loyally by his mother's side, she swallowed her complaints.
Qian Lanyue, observing this all-too-familiar scene, looked at her delirious older cousin with hatred flashing in her eyes.
Yes, it was because of this cousin that the old woman had married her off early in exchange for a large bride price, leading her to eventually be beaten to death by that violent brute.
This time, if he wanted to live, he'd have to see whether she—Qian Lanyue—would give him the chance.
Meanwhile, Concubine Sun was growing increasingly uneasy as she watched her daughter's strange behavior. Ever since she hit her head a few days ago, the girl had been acting odd.
She no longer relied on her mother and often disappeared for long stretches.
That evening, Qian Lanyue kept a close watch on her aunt-in-law. When she saw the woman leave while brewing medicine, she immediately went over and poured out the contents of the pot, then refilled it with rainwater collected from outside.
All of this was witnessed by a little girl, who pretended not to see and didn't alert anyone.
After all, if her mother and grandmother were willing to let her die while saving only her brother, why should she say anything?
Yes—Qian Lanmei had overheard their entire conversation with her sharp ears.
As her fevered face flushed red, a crazed look flashed in Qian Lanmei's eyes.
"If I'm not allowed to live, then I'll drag someone down with me. My dear brother, you'll be going to hell with me!"
Later, Li Yuexi returned from relieving herself and carefully poured the "finished" medicine into a bowl. As she passed her daughter, she hesitated for a moment—but still turned away.
What she didn't notice was that her daughter's tightly shut eyes had quietly opened. Those dark, obsidian eyes stared fixedly at her departing mother.
Give up already. You've always known it in your heart, haven't you? You'll never be as important as your brother. So, there's no need to tell her the truth.
That night, after others drank their medicine, their fevers quickly subsided. Only Li Yuexi's eldest son remained red-faced and feverish, eventually beginning to talk nonsense in his delirium.
Seeing this, Li Yuexi had no choice but to beg Doctor Yuan to take another look. But after feeling his pulse—disordered and weak—he sighed deeply.
"Madam, your child's cold has entered the lungs. My skills are limited… there's nothing I can do."
"No, that's not true! Aren't you a doctor? It's just a cold—how can there be no cure?"
She grabbed Doctor Yuan's collar tightly, her bloodshot eyes boring into him.
At first, Doctor Yuan had felt a twinge of sympathy. But faced with this aggressive behavior, his expression instantly soured.
"I already diagnosed your son for free. Don't be ungrateful."
With that, he pushed Li Yuexi aside and walked away without looking back.
Li Yuexi collapsed to the ground, sobbing. She couldn't understand what sin she had committed to deserve such punishment from the heavens, who now seemed intent on taking her son's life.
The emotional shock overwhelmed her, and she fainted on the spot.
And Qian Lanyue, watching coldly from the side, showed no emotion as her beloved older cousin took one more step toward death.
As for Sun Juanfang, resting outside the cave, she remained completely unaware of all this. Exhausted from the day's travel, she had already fallen into a deep sleep beside Sister Ting.