"Wait, did you buy the medicine I asked for?"

Hearing this question from his little sister, Wang Xiao'er, who had already reached the door, paused and felt his face turn slightly pale.

"What's wrong? Did you forget?"

Li Shu put down the brush in her hand and glanced at Wang Xiao'er, who stood by the door. Her lips, slightly tinted with red, curved up faintly, and her voice was as calm as water.

"No, no, I've already bought it."

Li Shu's casual glance caused beads of cold sweat to appear on Wang Xiao'er's forehead. He knew well enough what his little master was capable of. Although others may not understand, he certainly did.

The medicine she asked him to buy was not ordinary medicine. The reason Wang Xiao'er was late was because it was hard to acquire. Especially since it was a high-quality medicine with no side effects for the body, he had spent a significant amount of money to purchase it from a former palace maid who had been released from the palace. This palace maid had served a consort, and the recipe for the medicine was obtained while she was serving that consort.

Such a medicine could only be trusted if it came from the palace, as it had survived the many trials and tests in the harem.

Although the medicine had no side effects, it was still one… This was why Wang Xiao'er did not immediately present it.

"Did you confirm everything?" Li Shu asked.

"I confirmed it. There are no side effects," Wang Xiao'er replied, lowering his head.

"Then, give it to Mama Zhao," Li Shu said, casually twirling the cold jade bracelet on her wrist, giving a faint order to Wang Xiao'er.

"Mm, you may leave now. Remember, do more and speak less."

Seeing Wang Xiao'er hand over a delicate small porcelain bottle to elderly maid, Li Shu, with a pointed remark, dismissed Wang Xiao'er.

"Little master, what kind of medicine is this?"

Mama Zhao, the elderly maid, was a longtime servant of the Li family, having worked for them even before Li Shu was born. However, because she was a servant and a woman, Mama Zhao had never had the chance to learn to read. Even though the name of the medicine was on the porcelain bottle, Mama Zhao had no idea what kind of medicine she was holding. After handing the bottle to Li Shu, Mama Zhao curiously asked.

It was a delicate blue-and-white porcelain bottle, tied with a red satin ribbon. The ribbon had the name of the medicine, but due to the angle, Mama Zhao could only see the character "绝" (meaning "absolute"), while the rest of the characters were obscured by Li Shu's delicate fingers.

Li Shu toyed with the porcelain bottle in her hand and, hearing the question, smiled faintly, "A peerless medicine. Heh, these doctors sure have big mouths."

"After dinner, have the kitchen boil the herbs for preventing and treating the common cold that Father brought back. Divide it among the people in the house. Oh, and the portion for the maid in my room, just send it to my courtyard."

Li Shu casually placed the delicate blue-and-white porcelain bottle on the table and instructed Mama Zhao.

"Little master is truly a living Bodhisattva. With this medicine, we won't have to worry about the cold this winter anymore. No more runny noses and headaches… I thank little master on behalf of the people in the courtyard. You truly have a kind heart."

Mama Zhao's face was full of joy. The medicine brought by the master was bought at a high price, and its effects were excellent. Years ago, when her husband caught a cold and was on the brink of death, it was the master who had sent some medicine. After drinking it and sweating it out, he recovered. Now, hearing that little master was going to boil the cold-prevention medicine for everyone, Mama Zhao was overjoyed.

"Alright, go on. You all are the benefactors of the Li family. If you are well, then the Li family will be well," Li Shu waved her hand with a smile, as though she was pleased by Mama Zhao's flattery.

Mama Zhao, feeling as if she had drunk two small cups of wine, happily left and couldn't wait to share this good news with the people in the Li residence.

Soon, the entire Li family was filled with voices of gratitude and admiration for Li Shu.

After Mama Zhao left, Li Shu played with the exquisite blue-and-white porcelain vase for a moment, then untied the red satin ribbon with the medicine name from the vase. She walked to a brazier and threw the red ribbon into the flames.

The red satin ribbon fluttered as it fell into the fire, curling up and igniting a small green flame.

On the burning ribbon, one could faintly make out the character "子" (Zi), though perhaps the "好" (Hao) character was burned off first, leaving only the "女" (Nu) part, but in an instant, it turned to ashes, and it was impossible to tell what the character was.

Li Shu stood quietly in front of the brazier, watching as the red satin ribbon burned into ashes. Only after it was completely consumed did she turn with her hands behind her back and sit down at the table again.

Soon after, the bun-faced maid, Hua'er, holding a food box, walked in with a slight bounce.

"Miss, this tofu and crucian carp soup smells so good!" The bun-faced maid, Hua'er, placed the food box on the table and beamed at Li Shu.

"Really? Did you sneak a taste?" Li Shu walked over to Hua'er, raised her delicate hand, and playfully tapped the tip of the little maid's nose, teasing with a smile.

"No, no, I didn't sneak a taste." the bun-faced maid, Hua'er, quickly shook her head in denial.

"Oh, if you didn't sneak a taste, how do you know it smells so good?" Li Shu asked again with a playful smile.

"Ah?" the bun-faced maid, Hua'er, furrowed her little face in thought, then suddenly understood and said, "Miss, you can smell the fragrance."

"Finally remembered, you're really a little slow." Li Shu tapped Hua'er on the forehead, then said with a hint of mercy, "Eating fish can make you smarter. There's so much crucian carp soup here, I can't finish it all. Go get a small bowl and have some."

"Miss, I'm not slow!" the bun-faced maid, Hua'er, pouted, holding her forehead with a look of grievance.

After dinner, the entire Li residence was filled with the smell of traditional Chinese medicine, but every servant of the Li household drank the medicinal herbs that had been distributed from the kitchen to prevent colds. They drank the entire bowl, even scraping the bottom clean. The medicine had been bought at a high price from an old doctor in the south.

Five medicinal bowls, still steaming, were also placed in the rooms of the Li family's eldest daughter.

Li Shu's personal maid, Hua'er, and the other three close maids were also in her room.

"The weather is cold and the air is damp, which makes it easy to catch a cold. These are the strongest bowls I had the kitchen save for you, they're the best for dispelling cold and promoting lung health. You all serve me, my dear maids, so drink these and prevent getting sick from the cold," Li Shu said, leaning against the embroidered bed, wearing a purple sleep dress. Her hair hung loosely by her sides, having already removed her hairpin. With a natural and unadorned look, her pure and lovely face wore a warm smile, and her watery eyes narrowed slightly.

"Thank you, Miss!"

The maids happily thanked Li Shu. Just a moment ago, everyone in the yard had been drinking the cold-prevention medicine, but they hadn't received any yet. They thought they had been forgotten, only to realize that their Master had been thinking of them all along, saving the best bowls of medicine for them. The maids were full of gratitude for Li Shu.

Feeling moved, the maids quickly drank their medicinal herbs while they were still warm.

Li Shu watched them finish their medicine with a satisfied nod, then said to the bun-faced maid, Hua'er, "Hua'er, bring me the last bowl. Once I finish reading this scroll, I'll drink it too."

Hua'er obediently brought the last bowl of soup medicine to Li Shu and placed it on the bedside table.

"Mm, you all go back to your rooms now, I don't need anything else. After drinking this medicine, it's best to sweat it out in bed."

Li Shu waved her hand, signaling the maids to leave.

Once the maids had all left, Li Shu got out of bed, took the bowl of medicine from the table, and poured it into a potted plant in her room. She then casually climbed back into bed to continue reading.

The book in Li Shu's hands was "The Biography of Cao Cao." The section she was reading was about Cao Cao mistakenly killing Lü Bosha. The last sentence on the page was Cao Cao's famous saying: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."

"Though I may betray the world, I will never betray you. I only wish your heart is as mine."

Li Shu put down "The Biography of Cao Cao" and opened the scroll with "Jiang Chengzi," where she read the dances of dragons and phoenixes. After reading it several times, she extinguished the light and fell asleep.