This time, after a short half-month trip, everything was quite casual—eating, lodging, traveling. We were always on the move, and my energy was completely drained, so when my time of month came, it was especially miserable.
"Why is your face so pale? Not feeling well?" Zhao Minghua saw Chun Nuan clutching her stomach and got anxious: "Did you eat something bad?"
Chun Nuan looked speechlessly at this straightforward guy. Does he not understand? Women have these days every month.
"We’re still quite far from the town. How about this, I’ll rush there quickly and take you to see a doctor."
"I’m a doctor myself."
Zhao Minghua was taken aback, oh right, he forgot.
"Then you should check yourself." Zhao Minghua thought for a moment: "Then again, doctors can’t cure themselves, you still need to see a doctor."
This is what they call concern causing confusion!
Chun Nuan was left dumbfounded by what he said.
One could say I was careless. I packed all sorts of pills and medicine, but forgot about this situation. I should have at least brought some qi supplement, blood nourishment, and womb-warming, menstruation-regulating pills.
With one oversight, well, suffer slowly by myself.
"Nuannuan, let’s go, I’ll take you to see a doctor, you’re even sweating."
Zhao Minghua noticed sweat on Chun Nuan’s forehead and quickly took out a cloth to wipe it for her.
"No need." Chun Nuan felt embarrassed, reaching to stop his hand, accidentally touching his palm. Oh my, it’s so warm.
For a moment, Chun Nuan boldly speculated: If this hand was placed on her lower abdomen, it should be comfortable too.
Ahem, cannot think this way, much less act on it, that’s not right!
"Nuannuan, you’re sick, we need to see a doctor."
"I told you, it’s nothing." Chun Nuan, pushed to the limit, had to honestly say: "Every woman has a few uncomfortable days each month."
"Why?"
Zhao Minghua blurted out.
After saying it, he suddenly realized and his handsome face turned bright red.
"Uh, I’ve heard that drinking brown sugar water might help a bit?"
"No need, just keep warm."
Keep warm, on the road, how to keep warm?
"Or..." Chun Nuan decided between enduring pain and enduring embarrassment, she might as well choose the latter: "Your hand is warmer."
Hand placed over Chun Nuan’s middle garment on her lower abdomen, the warmth made Chun Nuan feel comfortable, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"I was still careless."
Chun Nuan was referring to the lack of preparation, hence the suffering.
"Yeah, you’re a girl, traveling so far, and it’s getting colder, how can you endure it." Zhao Minghua said: "How about when we reach the next county town, you stay at the inn, I’ll let Qingsheng stay behind to look after you, and I’ll continue with the caravan to deliver the supplies?"
Zhao Minghua was referring to another situation.
"I made this arduous journey to the Northern Desert to check on my uncle, father, and brothers’ health, and to give them some treatment." Chun Nuan gave a bitter smile: "Can you do it?"
"I can’t." It seems I still know too little, this was blatant disparagement: "But I can get a doctor."
"Are there good doctors around here?"
It’s not that Chun Nuan was skeptical; it’s too poor and harsh here, any capable good doctor would have left long ago.
Besides, even if there were good doctors, you’d still need good herbs.
Chun Nuan’s whole cart apart from clothes was full of herbs.
She brought all the herbs she could think of.
"Moreover, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to take my pulse, having come 99 steps already, I can’t give up on the last step. A day of rest would be just nice."
Chun Nuan thought she needed just a day of rest to fully recover.
"Alright, I got it."
That night, they stayed at the relay station’s inn.
It has to be said, Master Zhou Qi still has some skills; relay stations generally only accommodate officials and their family members, but his caravan could stay there, probably because he managed things well, making the caravan feel at home when they arrive at these places.
Zhao Minghua went to find the caravan leader, Brother Zhu Si.
"Stay a day longer?" Brother Zhu Si was greatly puzzled: "In two days, we’ll reach the Northern Desert. Do you know what staying a night longer means?"
Zhao Minghua waited quietly for his answer.
"Staying a day means spending two nights here. Staying here costs silver, and twenty plus people’s food, drink, and other needs for a day also cost silver. Whenever we set out, we calculate the costs. This time, we already slowed down because you joined us; if it were usual times, we should have reached the Northern Desert today."
The extra two days, Master Zhou Qi would acknowledge anyway, since Miss Xiao was accompanying, which was his arrangement, so blaming it all on Miss Xiao would be perfectly fine.