Chapter 4: Nurse Qi

No matter how Zhao Baozhu searched, his poor little ragged bag was so small that under his violent rummaging, it tore into several pieces. He only had five or six items in total, which Zhao Baozhu laid out flat on the table—yet the most important name card was missing.

How could the name card be gone?

Zhao Baozhu immediately panicked. The name card, stamped by the prefectural education office, was the only document that could prove a candidate’s identity. Without it, he couldn’t even enter the spring examination hall.

Zhao Baozhu wanted to go out and look for it, but by the time he realized it was lost, night had fallen. The courtyard was pitch black, and he couldn’t tell directions, so he dared not wander about recklessly.

Could it have fallen somewhere along the road?

He recalled how he had been thrown out of the inn several times, even rolled down the stairs—the name card might have slipped out of his bag then.

What was he to do now?

Images of the bustling streets of the capital, packed with pedestrians and vendors, filled Zhao Baozhu’s mind. If his name card had fallen there, it would be nearly impossible to retrieve.

Helpless, he sat by the bedside, his mind racing with wild thoughts about whether he had lost it somewhere in the inn—and if it was outside, where exactly should he search? Exhausted from days of travel, he eventually drifted into a restless sleep.

The next morning, early dawn.

Fang Li stood under a large banyan tree in the courtyard, holding a roster in hand. His narrow eyes lifted to look at Zhao Baozhu. “Why are you looking like this?”

Zhao Baozhu was distraught and pale, his small frame trembling unsteadily. Hearing the question, he raised his head as if waking from a dream. “W-What?”

Fang Li frowned, staring at the boy’s confused face. He thought to himself that the child had seemed quite clever yesterday—why did he look so dazed today?

“Pull yourself together,” Fang Li said with a stern tone. “You’re here to work, understand?”

Considering Zhao Baozhu’s youth, he held back from being harsher. Upon hearing this, Zhao Baozhu became more serious, pulling his thoughts away from the missing name card and nodding earnestly.

“I understand,” he said. Then he asked, “Brother Fang, what work do I have to do today?”

Fang Li was caught off guard by the address, suspecting the boy was deliberately acting cute to avoid work. He flipped through the roster with a sharp rustle.

“You will work here on the farm,” Fang Li said coldly. “Feed the ducks and chickens, clean the farmhouse and backyard, refill the water trough daily—”

He read down the list of tasks, his voice gradually lowering as he went on. The Ye family was large and prosperous; even this secluded villa had many servants. As one of the capital’s most prestigious families, their servants were highly sought after and carefully chosen. When they heard yesterday that the young master had casually brought in a beggar from the street, they were all resentful. After all, they had connections and silver to grease the right palms.

Grumbling at Zhao Baozhu, they had gathered to discuss the matter and assigned him all the tasks they least wanted to do.

In the servants’ words, a homeless beggar like Zhao Baozhu should be quite adept at farm work!

Fang Li, as the steward, disapproved of such behavior but disliked Zhao Baozhu just as much, so he did not intervene. Yet—

He paused, glancing at Zhao Baozhu, who looked up with wide, obedient cat-like eyes, appearing very gentle.

Sending such a fresh and lively boy to the filthy, messy place troubled even Fang Li’s hardened heart on a moral level. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he silently skipped the last two tasks on the list and put down the roster.

“That’s all,” he said, lifting his chin to look at Zhao Baozhu. “If you have any complaints, you can raise them now.”

He deliberately left this opening, hoping Zhao Baozhu would object so he might remove one or two tasks from the list.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Baozhu lifted his chin and said in a clear voice, “I have no complaints.”

Fang Li stared at him, momentarily speechless. Zhao Baozhu, seeing his silence, thought he didn’t trust him and earnestly added, “I do these at home too. I promise I will do them well.”

Fang Li looked into his watery eyes, as if determined to convince him. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing, feeling an inexplicable pang of guilt. After a moment’s hesitation, he began, “You…”

Before he could finish, a robust female voice interrupted, “Xiao Fang!”

Zhao Baozhu turned toward the sound and saw a matronly woman in a rough cloth short jacket approaching from outside the courtyard. The moment she saw him, her eyes brightened.

“Oh my! Whose child is this?”

Zhao Baozhu was suddenly grabbed by the hand, eyes wide in surprise. The woman lowered her head to inspect him from head to toe, then pinched his cheek without ceremony.

“What a bright, clever little boy—” she fondled his face, then, recognizing something familiar in his features, exclaimed, “Are you the little beggar from yesterday?”

Zhao Baozhu blinked and said, “I’m not a beggar.” He wanted to explain that he had come to the capital to take the exams, but then remembered his lost name card. Even if he said it now, no one would believe him without it.

He paused, then offered a flimsy excuse. “I…I’m here to stay with relatives.”

“Oh?” Fang Li raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Where are these relatives you’re staying with?”

He was naturally proud and disdainful, his tone tinged with sarcasm. Zhao Baozhu said nothing, pursing his lips with a hint of embarrassment.

Seeing this, the matronly woman hugged the boy protectively, shot Fang Li a glare, then patted Zhao Baozhu’s face comfortingly.

“Good child, don’t mind him,” she coaxed. “Forget the past. Auntie Qi will take care of you from now on.”

Held warmly and firmly in the woman’s arms, Zhao Baozhu looked up to see a flicker of embarrassment cross Fang Li’s face. Auntie Qi ignored him, focusing solely on comforting Zhao Baozhu.

“What’s your name, child?”

Zhao Baozhu blinked and replied, “My name is Zhao Baozhu.” Then politely added, “Hello, Auntie Qi.”

Pleased by his manners, Auntie Qi squeezed him affectionately and asked at length about his family. Upon learning that his mother had passed early and only his elderly father remained at home, she felt such pity she wished she could bring Zhao Baozhu home and raise him as her own grandson. Their easy, warm exchange felt like that of true grandparents and grandchild, making Fang Li seem all the more out of place.

He stood awkwardly nearby for a while, and when no one acknowledged him, he stiffly said, “I’ll come back later to inspect. You all manage yourselves in the meantime.” Then he turned and left.

Zhao Baozhu looked up at him, but Auntie Qi pressed him close and snapped, “Let’s not mind him. For such a young person, he sure knows how to put on airs!”

With that, she led Zhao Baozhu around the corner, coaxing him like a little grandson, “Come, Auntie will show you the chicks and ducklings.”

Chicks and ducklings… Zhao Baozhu felt a bit helpless but sensed Auntie Qi’s kindness and obediently followed her to the backyard where the livestock were kept. From their conversation, he learned that Auntie Qi had come to the capital from a country farm, so she was well versed in raising animals and farm chores.

“This place is small, can’t raise much,” Auntie Qi said, pointing to an area enclosed by the courtyard walls, about an acre in size. “Just some chickens and ducks.” She then pointed to a small path connected to the garden. “That way leads to the stables.”

As she was about to lead Zhao Baozhu to see the horses, a sharp female voice sounded from behind.

“Auntie Qi, what are you doing? The back gate delivery is still waiting!”

Startled, Zhao Baozhu turned to see a servant girl standing under the corridor, eyebrows raised and arms akimbo, looking annoyed.

Auntie Qi turned back and frowned. “What’s all this commotion so early in the morning? You’ve delivered here before, don’t you know the rules?”

The girl, unbowed, raised her eyebrows higher and said sharply, “What rules could we know? Everyone knows Auntie Qi manages the back yard. A few days ago, that Huang fellow came, and since you were busy, we helped sign for the order. But today, Master Ma came and insisted that only his word matters, not yours. We lowly servants don’t want to cause trouble, so we called you here.”

Her voice was rapid and piercing, making one’s head ache from listening. Auntie Qi frowned and waved a hand near her face, like shooing a fly. “Enough, enough. If I say something, you’ve got ten more waiting.”

She then turned to Zhao Baozhu. “Wait under that tree. I’ll be right back.”

The girl remained standing under the corridor, casting disdainful glances at Auntie Qi as she clumsily walked up the steps, muttering under her breath. Clearly, she was not someone easily placated. Then she noticed Zhao Baozhu standing behind Auntie Qi.

Upon seeing his face, the girl froze briefly, then turned to Auntie Qi. “Who is that?”

Auntie Qi, finally catching her breath on the steps, bent over and said, “Are you out of your mind? That’s the beggar the young master picked up yesterday. His name is Zhao Baozhu.”

The girl’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Zhao Baozhu. “It’s him?!”

Her voice sharpened, and Auntie Qi grew annoyed. “Stop making a fuss! Don’t you have to deliver the vegetables? Hurry up!”

The girl had no choice but to turn and follow Auntie Qi toward the back gate, frequently glancing back at Zhao Baozhu. Zhao Baozhu was baffled by her stare, unsure what this servant-looking girl was thinking.

In truth, the sharp-eyed girl was one of the servants who had banded together to ostracize Zhao Baozhu. They had only known him as a beggar who fled from the south, but seeing him properly now, they were stunned by how well-formed he was.

Could the young master have... The girl’s heart skipped a beat as a thought struck her. She shook her head hard—no matter how he looked, he was still a beggar. The young master feeding him was already a great kindness. Their master was someone who often entered the palace to accompany the emperor; he wouldn’t bother remembering a beggar he had picked up casually.