Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

The little princess clung to Empress Zhangsun's neck, refusing to let go.

"So happy~ Mommy's playing with me~"

Empress Zhangsun was still pregnant, and Xiao Ran was afraid that the little princess might hurt her, so he started hitting her.

“Sizi, come to me.”

The little princess let go of his hand, ran towards Xiao Ran, and threw herself into his arms.

"Little Bag~"

Xiao Ran took a cookie from the basket on top of the cabinet and handed it to the little princess, who happily munched on it.

The curtain at the door suddenly swayed. Xiao Ran looked over and saw a servant asking if he wanted to set the table for dinner.

Xiao Ran looked at Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.

"Uncle, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Li Shimin nodded. "Not yet."

So Xiao Ran had someone set out a meal.

Given the limited resources available, there's not much food left, so today's lunch was no different from yesterday's.

Fortunately, Xiao Ran had all the seasonings, so the dish tasted better.

The group didn't chat idly at the table and quickly finished their meal.

After the meal, the room prepared for Empress Zhangsun had been tidied up.

"Madam, let me show you the house. If there's anything you need, please let me know."

Empress Zhangsun smiled and nodded, following behind Xiao Ran, and was helped by Li Lizhi to walk towards the house on the west side.

The room here also has a kang (heated brick bed), which is now heated up, and Empress Zhangsun is very satisfied.

"This is very good, it's so warm." Empress Zhangsun touched the kang (heated brick bed).

Xiao Ran said, "This kang is warm, but it's a bit hard to lie on. We'll put two more layers underneath when we sleep tonight."

Nowadays, there are no mattresses. If you want something soft, you can only put something on the bed. If you have money, you can use a quilt; if you don't, you can use a straw mat.

Li Shimin said, "There are still things in the carriage. Have someone unload them later."

"It won't take long, now is the perfect time to move over."

As he spoke, Xiao Ran ordered people to move things. Li Shimin didn't bring much, just bedding and the like, along with Empress Zhangsun's clothes, some fabrics, and gold and silver.

Li Shimin simply shoved the small box containing gold into Xiao Ran's hand.

"Don't be stingy when you need money."

Looking at the small box of gold, Xiao Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Uncle, I have money, and besides, I don't need much money here."

Li Shimin waved his hand, "Take it. This small box contains silver, which is for you to use. There's no need to be too frugal."

Before Xiao Ran could reply, Li Shimin had someone open another large box, which contained several small cloth bags.

"This is full of medicinal herbs. If anything is missing, please let me know."

This time, Xiao Ran did not refuse. Medicinal herbs were indeed very important. Sun Simiao did not have many medicinal herbs. At present, the most common medicinal herbs he had were only some common ones, which were all collected in Kaolao Village. As for any precious medicinal herbs, they were almost non-existent.

"Alright, these medicinal herbs are indeed needed. I'll have the old man put them away carefully later."

Li Shimin nodded and gave Empress Zhangsun a few more instructions, basically telling her not to worry, to speak up if she felt unwell, and not to suffer in silence.

Xiao Ran also joined in the persuasion.

He wasn't afraid of anything else, but he was afraid of making Empress Zhangsun uncomfortable, and he was also afraid of causing them trouble, so he endured it himself.

Empress Zhangsun showed no impatience whatsoever, listening with a gentle smile.

After saying that, Li Shimin was in a hurry to go back, as he had other things to take care of.

Before he left, Xiao Ran said, "Uncle, next time you come, I'll bring you something nice."

Li Shimin didn't know what Xiao Ran was trying to tell him, but since Xiao Ran didn't say, he didn't press him. He just laughed twice and said, "Then I'll be waiting for your good stuff!"

After saying this, Li Shimin boarded the carriage and sped away.

Xiao Ran returned to the main room, where Li Lizhi, Princess Yuzhang, Zhang Erya, and others were chatting with Empress Zhangsun. The little princesses, Princess Chengyang, Princess Gaoyang, and Yan Yao and San Niang were also running around and playing around Empress Zhangsun.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran smiled, then returned to Empress Zhangsun's room and had someone carry the medicine box to find Sun Simiao.

"Grandpa, I've come to bring you some medicinal herbs!" Xiao Ran called out.

Sun Simiao looked at Xiao Ran and nodded, "Come in."

Xiao Ran and his men placed the box on the ground and then dismissed them.

Sun Simiao opened the box and took out the medicinal herbs one by one.

The medicinal herbs that Li Shimin sent were all relatively expensive and rare, such as ginseng and he shou wu.

"Please put this ginseng in the cabinet for me."

Sun Simiao treated Xiao Ran with no courtesy when ordering him around.

These medicinal materials have already been processed, so there's no need to process them again.

After putting away the medicinal herbs, Xiao Ran said, "Grandpa, let's go check Madam's pulse."

This was arranged long ago. Sun Simiao knew about it during lunch, but after dinner, he took Empress Zhangsun to see the house first, so he returned.

"Let's go."

The two entered the living room, where Li Lizhi and the others were chatting, while the little princess and her friends were playing hide-and-seek.

Empress Zhangsun was initially looking at them with a smile, but when she saw Xiao Ran and Sun Simiao approaching, she instantly understood what was going on.

"Dr. Sun, thank you for your help."

Sun Simiao waved his hand, "This is also my duty."

As a doctor, one must naturally treat illnesses and practice medicine.

Sun Simiao placed the medicine pillow on the table, and Empress Zhangsun placed her hand on it.

During the pulse diagnosis, Sun Simiao remained expressionless, making onlookers tense; Li Lizhi's brows never relaxed.

After a while, Sun Simiao withdrew his hand.

"If you think less and worry less, and supplement your diet, you will naturally feel much better. You must avoid overthinking."

Upon hearing the diagnosis, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Xiao Ran.

He knew about Empress Zhangsun's health condition. She had recovered completely, but then she suddenly became pregnant. Xiao Ran was worried that the pregnancy would cause her health to decline rapidly, but now, looking at Sun Simiao, it didn't seem to be that serious.
Thinking this, Xiao Ran followed behind Sun Simiao when he went out. After walking a distance, Xiao Ran grabbed Sun Simiao.

"Sir, are you sure Madam doesn't need to take her medicine?"

Sun Simiao said, "Madam is still in the early stages of pregnancy and it is not suitable for her to take medicine."

Xiao Ran frowned. "What about her body?"

Speaking of this, Sun Simiao sighed.

"It's impossible to have no impact at all, but fortunately, we made up for a lot beforehand, which is much better than I expected."

With that in mind, Xiao Ran was relieved.

Sun Simiao further said, "The important thing now is to nourish the body, but we can't just eat anything. I'll write down a recipe for dietary supplements later."

Xiao Ran nodded. "Okay."

Sun Simiao returned to his room and soon came out with a sheet of Xuan paper, the ink on which was not yet completely dry.

"Don't be greedy with the prescriptions on this list. One prescription a day is enough." Xiao Ran took it and looked at it. He had all the ingredients. When Sun Simiao wrote the prescriptions, he also based them on what he had available.

With this, Xiao Ran immediately instructed the kitchen. Although there was a cook, Xiao Ran still felt that a professional was more reliable.

Or should we find someone who knows how to make medicinal cuisine?

Thinking this, Xiao Ran returned to the living room.

Knowing that Empress Zhangsun was alright, the living room returned to its initial cheerful atmosphere, and even the slight melancholy between Empress Zhangsun's brows dissipated considerably.

Xiao Ran stepped into the living room, attracting everyone's attention.

"Little Bag~"

The little princess ran towards Xiao Ran, who picked her up and said to Empress Zhangsun, "Madam, the old master just gave us a recipe for nourishing food. Let's make it and try it tonight."

Empress Zhangsun smiled and nodded, "Alright."

Then, Xiao Ran said, "Although there are cooks, medicinal cuisine is probably different from regular cooking. The heat and time are also important. So I was thinking it would be better to find a young lady or a female doctor who knows some medicinal cuisine."

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhangsun smiled.

"No need, Hongxiu by my side can do it."

Hongxiu, who was standing to the side, curtsied to Xiao Ran.

Empress Zhangsun is sure to stay for a long time this time, so she brought her maid with her.

Empress Zhangsun explained, "The imperial physicians in the palace had mentioned medicinal cuisine before. My meals are all handled by Hongxiu, so she has learned a lot from her."

Hongxiu stepped forward and said, "I know a little about general medicinal diet combinations and some simple pharmacology, but I probably can't compare to those female doctors."

Xiao Ran never expected that this talented person would be right beside him.

"No need, no need, knowing these is enough!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ran thought of Sun Simiao.

"Hongxiu, do you want to study medicine?"

Hongxiu's heart stirred, and she subconsciously turned to look at Empress Zhangsun. Empress Zhangsun nodded at her, silently expressing her support.

Seeing this, Hongxiu gritted her teeth and said, "Young master, I want to learn."

As she spoke, she looked at Empress Zhangsun, her eyes unconsciously reddening.

"Your Highness has been in poor health for many years. Every time Your Highness suffers from a cough, I only regret that I do not know medicine and cannot cure Your Highness."

Empress Zhangsun's eyes also reddened. She waved to Hongxiu, who quickly went over.

"You silly girl, don't think about that now. With Doctor Sun here, isn't my illness cured?"

Hongxiu wiped away her tears. "Fortunately, His Highness is well now, and I can rest assured."

Although the scene was touching, Xiao Ran was afraid of affecting Empress Zhangsun's mood, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Since it's a Red Sleeve Gathering, that would be perfect! This medicinal cuisine isn't difficult to make, but how to make it taste good is another matter."

Upon hearing this, Hongxiu quickly replied, "Young master, please leave it to me."

Xiao Ran smiled and said, "If you cook well, I'll ask the old man if he'd be willing to teach you medicine."

Hongxiu was overjoyed. Although Xiao Ran's question earlier had that implication, she was still very excited to receive a definite answer.

"Thank you, young master!"

Xiao Ran waved his hand, "No need to thank me yet, I don't know if the old man is willing."

Although Xiao Ran felt that Sun Simiao wouldn't be unwilling, his final decision ultimately depended on Sun Simiao's own thoughts.

Empress Zhangsun said, "Whether Physician Sun likes it or not, I must thank you."

Hongxiu even bent down to kowtow to Xiao Ran, which startled Xiao Ran, who quickly dodged away.

"Get up! Get up! This is unacceptable!"

Seeing Xiao Ran's flustered appearance, everyone present laughed.

The group chatted for a few more minutes. Empress Zhangsun, having traveled by carriage the whole way and chatted for so long, was already quite tired.

So Hongxiu helped Empress Zhangsun to rest.

The little princess was still pestering Xiao Ran to fly a kite.

Since they started eating lunch, the sky outside had become overcast, and now the wind had picked up, chilling to the bone. Xiao Ran was reluctant to let the little princess go.

But the little princess blinked her big eyes at Xiao Ran.

"Little Nangjun~ Play~"

Xiao Ran picked up the little princess and coaxed her, "It's too cold outside, let's play inside, okay?"

The little princess glanced outside, then looked at Xiao Ran, which almost made Xiao Ran's heart soften.

However, being sick is no joke. Although Xiao Ran has medicine, being sick is still unpleasant.

“Be good, Sizi. If you’re sick, you can’t eat anything delicious.”

The little princess thought that delicious food was more important.

"Those ducks are playing here~"

The little princess struggled to get down and continued playing hide-and-seek with her aunts.

Xiao Ran sighed as he looked at him.

Li Lizhi said with a smile, "Why is the young master sighing?"

Xiao Ran looked at the little princess hiding everywhere and said, "Sizi has nothing else to play with, so she keeps thinking about flying kites."

Li Lizhi didn't think it was a big problem.

"Aren't they having a lot of fun inside? It's getting cold today, so they really can't keep going outside."

This is the kind of life people are used to; Li Lizhi lived like this when she was a child.

When the weather is warm, you can play outside. When it gets cold, you can read or embroider indoors. When you get older, you can paint, play chess, or even enjoy tea. These are all forms of leisure.

Xiao Ran remembered a new toy: building blocks. However, the problem remained the same: he needed to find a carpenter.

If all else fails, we'll have to trouble our great-grandfather.

However, I imagine that after the glass is ground, my great-grandfather will be busy making the lens tube, so it's uncertain whether he'll have the time.

Suddenly, Xiao Ran thought of Cheng Chumo.

Just after lunch, Cheng Chumo went to rest.

Perhaps because he had been running around looking for pig bristles that day, Xiao Ran noticed that Cheng Chumo was somewhat listless during lunch, and went straight to sleep after finishing his meal.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran was also a little worried about Cheng Chumo, wondering if he had caught a cold.

So he knocked on Cheng Chumo's door, and after only two knocks, the door opened.

"Young master." Cheng Chumo was somewhat surprised.

Xiao Ran asked, "How are you feeling? Are you sick? You seemed a bit listless at lunch."

Cheng Chumo smiled and said, "I'm fine. I just felt a little sleepy for some reason, but I'm fine after a nap."

Xiao Ran thought that Cheng Chumo's symptoms were probably not the beginning of a cold, but that he was in good health and would be fine after a good night's sleep.

However, Xiao Ran was relieved to hear this. "It's good that you're alright."

Cheng Chumo chuckled twice, "Don't worry, young master, I'm fine."

Then, Cheng Chumo asked, "Young master, is there something you need from me?" (End of this chapter)