Chapter 55: Whose Noble Child Is This?
Hearing Ye Jiamei’s exclamation, Yu Haojie looked puzzled.
“You know this child?”
“Earlier today, when we went to town to buy supplies, the system gave Xiao Luo a mission—to help this child’s only remaining family member with the burial. This is that same child.”
Yu Haojie: …
Ye Jiamei quickly checked the boy’s condition and, realizing that he was still breathing, breathed a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, she picked him up from the snow-covered ground, trying to share some warmth.
“I can’t tell if it’s a coincidence or if he followed us on purpose. This place is at least twenty or thirty miles from that town. For such a small child, dressed so thinly, I can’t tell if he’s passed out from the cold or hunger.”
As she spoke, Ye Jiamei pressed her fingers to the boy’s philtrum. The burning heat of his skin immediately told her that he was still feverish.
The boy’s eyelids fluttered, and his eyes slowly cracked open. He looked weak and could barely lift his lids fully.
Seeing his pale and thin face, Yu Haojie couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
“Wife, hold the torch. We need to get him back to the tent quickly and find him something warm to wear.”
They carried the boy back to the tent. The guards outside, seeing the couple return with a child, exchanged puzzled glances.
“Second Young Master Yu, I thought you said there was a wild beast out there. How did you end up bringing back a kid instead? Isn’t this a bit much for your situation?” one guard teased.
“Ah, it’s just a poor child. Probably froze out there. You two go ahead and chat. I’ll just warm him up a bit,” Yu Haojie replied with a light smile.
“Forget that. Bring him over here first. It’s just coal fires in the tent—not nearly as warm as our fire pit here. We even set up some makeshift windbreaks around it to block the cold wind a bit,” one of the guards said, waving them over.
Since even Wu Dahai was giving Yu Haojie’s family some face, these guards naturally wouldn’t make things difficult. They even extended a helping hand.
Seeing this, Yu Haojie quickly carried the child to the fire.
“Oh, it’s a boy! And just look at that face—he’s a handsome one for sure! Give him some decent clothes, and I’d bet my life he’s some nobleman’s son!” the guards chuckled as they looked over the boy’s delicate features.
Yu Haojie glanced down at the child in his arms and had to admit they were right.
The boy was painfully thin, but his facial features were exceptionally refined. He looked about ten years old, but even now, it was easy to imagine that in another five or six years, he’d grow into a tall, handsome young man with charm to spare.
“I brought clothes! Hurry and get him dressed! I also have some hot water—let him drink a bit first,” Ye Jiamei called out, rushing back out of the tent with an armful of supplies, followed by Yu Luo.
“Wife, this kid’s burning up. Get some fever medicine quickly.”
“I noticed as soon as I touched him. I brought fever medicine and some for colds too,” Ye Jiamei replied briskly, already pressing a pill to the boy’s lips.
The child seemed terribly thirsty. He guzzled down the water from the flask Yu Luo offered, draining more than half in one go before finally relaxing.
“Xiao Luo, get him something to eat. I felt his stomach just now—it’s completely empty. Just drinking water won’t help much,” Ye Jiamei said urgently.
Looking at the boy, who was now dressed in warm clothes and cradled in her father’s arms, Yu Luo hurried back to the tent to fetch some food.
“Second Madam, are you sure that was medicine just now? I’ve never seen anything like it,” one of the guards asked curiously.
“Yes, it’s very effective for fevers. If you want, I can give you a few tablets. If anyone in your family comes down with a fever, just give half a tablet to children and a full one to adults.”
“That’d be great! Thanks a lot, Second Madam!”
With the system’s stockpile of medicine, Ye Jiamei wasn’t about to be stingy. The guards had been polite all along, so she happily shared.
Meanwhile, Yu Luo returned with a bowl of plain rice porridge. The guards didn’t think much of it, as these exiles always cooked extra at night to reheat for breakfast the next day.
“Mother, he seems too weak to eat,” Yu Luo said hesitantly, looking at the boy, whose lips were chapped and who seemed barely able to stay conscious.
“Just try to get him to eat a bit. After some rest, the fever should go down,” Yu Haojie murmured softly, coaxing the boy with utmost patience.
The boy cracked his eyes open a bit more, and Ye Jiamei quickly spooned a bit of porridge to his lips.
Somehow, the boy managed to eat over half of the bowl and drink a bit more water before finally succumbing to exhaustion and slipping back into a fitful sleep.
“We can’t just leave him out here. Let’s bring him into our bed and make some room,” Ye Jiamei sighed, brushing the damp hair from the boy’s forehead.
“Shouldn’t we report this to Commander Wu first?” Yu Haojie asked cautiously.
“I’ll go. You just take care of the child,” Ye Jiamei replied quickly.
She went to find Wu Dahai and, after a brief explanation, returned to the tent. Wu Dahai seemed indifferent to the matter, allowing them to bring the boy inside.
But once Ye Jiamei left, Wu Dahai rolled over in his bed with a frown.
“Commander, don’t you think it’s a bit strange how carefree Yu Haojie’s family is? I mean, they’re supposed to be exiles, but they’re out there picking up kids off the road like it’s nothing,” one of the guards whispered.
“You talk too much. Just go to sleep,” Wu Dahai snapped, not in the mood for idle gossip. The guard chuckled sheepishly and rolled over.
With the moon high in the sky, most of the camp was soon fast asleep.
Ye Jiamei, snuggled under the blankets, found herself drowsing off quickly, especially with the child’s warmth radiating like a little furnace.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhengqing, who had gone out to relieve himself, lingered in the woods for a good quarter of an hour before silently returning to the tent.
Wu Dahai cracked an eye open, watching the man slip back into his bedding without a word. With a grunt, he rolled over and went back to sleep.
But deep in the night, Yu Haojie woke with a start. He reached out instinctively and found the child they’d picked up was soaked in sweat, his clothes drenched through.
