Deng Ying was sitting in bed wearing a robe and looking at construction plans.
Yang Wan had applied medicine to his ankle and wrapped it in two layers of blankets, making it almost immobile. Hearing the door open behind him, he thought it was Li Yu and casually asked, “Li Yu, can you hand me the water from the table? I’d like a drink.”
Yang Lun looked at the table and saw two cups, asking, “Which one?”
Deng Ying started, turned around to see Bai Huan and Yang Lun standing behind him, “Teacher…”
He quickly got out of bed and knelt beside it to bow to Bai Huan, “Teacher… please forgive Deng Ying’s impropriety.”
Bai Huan reached out to support his arm, “Get up, sit back on the bed, I came to see you, not to trouble you.”
Yang Lun took over from Bai Huan, helping Deng Ying sit back on the bed, glancing at his ankle, “This wouldn’t be that medicine Yang Wan bought for twenty taels of silver per package, would it?”
Deng Ying didn’t answer him, only saying to Bai Huan, “I’m sorry, teacher, I don’t have good seating here. Please take my chair, Zi Xi, help me get my robe to cushion it for the teacher.”
Yang Lun said, “Fine, today I’ll take orders from you, the patient.”
He brought over the chair, helped Bai Huan sit down, and then lifted his robes to sit on the edge of Deng Ying’s bed.
Seeing Yang Wan wasn’t there, he casually asked, “Where’s Wan’er?”
Li Yu came in with tea and answered Yang Lun, “She’s cooking by the moat.”
“Cooking?”
Yang Lun laughed and said to Bai Huan, “My sister used to know how to make a few dishes.”
Li Yu’s hand trembled, “Is what you say true, sir?”
Yang Lun made a sound of agreement, “Mother taught her some…”
Before he could finish speaking, they heard Yang Wan calling Li Yu from outside, “I told you to watch the medicine, why did you go inside? Come out quickly and help me carry the dishes, and set the table so we can eat.”
Li Yu hurried to the door and said, “Minister Bai and Director Yang are here.”
Yang Wan paused, “Since when?”
“For a while now.”
Hearing this, Yang Wan quickened her steps, entered the room, put down the food tray, and bowed to Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai.”
Bai Huan smiled kindly and responded, “Please rise, miss.”
Yang Wan stood up and smiled at Yang Lun, “Brother is here too.”
Yang Lun was about to speak when he heard her say, “You get up and stand, I need to check the medicine on his foot.”
“What…”
Yang Lun had barely spoken two words when Yang Wan unceremoniously pulled him up from the bedside.
Yang Wan half-knelt beside Deng Ying, lifted half the quilt, and reached out to feel the medicine pack on his foot, “Did you move around just now?”
Deng Ying glanced at Yang Lun and lowered his voice, “Wan-wan, I was bowing to the teacher.”
“Oh, then never mind, I’ll rewrap it for you.”
Yang Lun stood watching Yang Wan deftly tighten the medicinal cloth on Deng Ying’s ankle, and couldn’t help saying, “Who taught you this?”
“I learned it myself, isn’t it wrapped nicely?”
Yang Lun rolled his eyes, “You used to cry over the smallest scrape at home and wouldn’t let the servants apply medicine, now you’re playing doctor.”
Yang Wan looked up smiling, “His long illness has made me a doctor.”
After speaking, she tucked the quilt around Deng Ying’s legs, got up to wash her hands at the door, and turned back to address Bai Huan, “Teacher Bai, my cooking is really quite bad, only Deng Ying and I can eat it. I’m embarrassed to have you eat with us, but… brother, that pork bone soup is drinkable, would you like… to try a bowl?”
Hearing this, Yang Lun didn’t stand on ceremony but ladled himself a full bowl and took a big drink.
“No… what you’ve made is…”
Yang Wan walked up to Yang Lun with wet hands, saying somewhat embarrassedly, “It’s still very hard to drink, isn’t it?”
Yang Lun couldn’t find the right expression for a long time, “You used to be very good at cooking.”
Yang Wan said, “I fell before, and forgot.”
Yang Lun was speechless and turned to ask Deng Ying sitting on the bed, “She’s been cooking for you these past days?”
Deng Ying nodded, “Yes.”
Yang Lun turned to Yang Wan, “He’s recovering from illness, and you won’t even let him eat well.”
Yang Wan said, “It’s much better than before, though the taste still isn’t great, but everything is good for his health. You and Teacher Bai came to see him, not to scold me. I’ll take the food out, and after you leave, we’ll eat together. You sit down and discuss important matters with him.”