Ding Jingman snorted: “Isn’t it just about the factory and mine? They’ve been discussing it for half a year.”
After blowing for more than half an hour, the entire room had become freezing cold. Ding Jingman’s teeth were chattering, her face pale with a bluish tinge, her hands and feet icy, and she suddenly sneezed several times. Yu Yi saw this and quickly closed the window, taking a wool coat to drape over her.
Ding Jingman pushed away the coat Yu Yi handed her and persevered for over an hour, constantly asking Yu Yi to feel her forehead to check if she was developing a fever. She said, “If I don’t get a fever, I’ll go take a cold bath.” She looked determined not to give up until she got sick.
Yu Yi, seeing her continuous sneezing and hoarse voice, advised her to be patient and wait, explaining that catching a cold doesn’t immediately cause a fever.
Ding Jingman might not be clever, but she was persistent. That noon, she didn’t even eat and continued wearing thin clothing. By around 1 PM, she finally began to develop a fever.
Ding Jingman happily asked Yu Yi to call a doctor, instructing, “Don’t call a very good doctor. If this illness gets better too quickly, I’ll have suffered for nothing.”
When Yu Yi checked the information, she learned that Western doctors existed during this period, but since Ding Jingman hoped to recover slowly, she called a traditional Chinese doctor.
After the doctor left, Yu Yi said, “Madam, please rest. A-Ju will prepare the medicine for you.”
Ding Jingman was indeed exhausted and closed her eyes, nodding slightly.
Yu Yi stood by the bed watching her for a moment. A sense of guilt arose in Yu Yi’s heart, and she silently apologized to Ding Jingman.
Yu Yi went downstairs to instruct the cook about preparing the medicine, saying she was worried about the madam and would feel at ease only by watching over her. After leaving the kitchen, however, she didn’t go upstairs. Instead, she walked to the study door. There was no one downstairs – it was the perfect opportunity.
