Chapter 12: Taking the Pulse

“Little Princess, it’s alright now. See? Little Taro is perfectly fine. Come on, let’s go have our meal.” The little princess was starving by now; she must be ravenous. First, comfort the little princess, and since Little Taro showed no signs of distress, all was well.

After resting for a while, Little Taro looked a bit pale but otherwise unharmed. “Miss, don’t cry anymore. Just now, the little princess said I looked ugly when I cried. But look at you, you look even cuter when you cry, like a little kitten.”

The little one’s eyes never left Little Taro. Seeing her seem no worse than before, she finally felt a bit relieved.

“Burp, Little Taro, let’s go find Uncle to check you out. It’s all my fault. I’m so heavy, I must have hurt you.”

Little Taro took the little one’s hand, smiling warmly at her. “Miss, I want to eat roasted chicken. Let’s go have some roasted chicken.”

At that moment, the little one wasn’t thinking about any delicacies or roasted chicken. Her mind was fixed on the fact that she had pressed down hard on Little Taro just now; she was certain Little Taro must be hurt.

Knowing her mistress’s stubborn nature, Little Taro understood that if she didn’t go along with her wishes, the little princess might unleash her ultimate weapon later—her invincible crying. The little princess’s cries were the most dreaded sound in the entire General’s Mansion. She was their treasured gem, held delicately in their palms; no one wanted to see her upset.

So, obediently, Little Taro followed the little princess step by step towards the back courtyard of the General’s Mansion. Concerned for Little Taro’s injuries, the little one neither hurried nor ran, taking her time. A journey that should have taken less than fifteen minutes stretched out to half an hour under her careful pace.

Time and again, the little one asked, “Little Taro, where does it hurt? Does walking like this still hurt?”

Touched, Little Taro’s eyes reddened slightly but she remained silent, quietly following behind her, occasionally replying, “No, it doesn’t.”

Before them stood a unique snail-shaped wooden house. The little one eagerly took a quick step forward, then abruptly stopped, moving forward cautiously one small step at a time.

Little Taro couldn’t help but smile wryly. Her lady was so stubborn she wouldn’t even dare to walk faster. Her heart was filled with a warm, tender gratitude—how much good fortune must she have accumulated in a past life to meet such a kind lady?

“Uncle! Uncle! Are you there? Little Taro is hurt! Uncle, please come quickly!” The little one called out excitedly, seeing the snail-shaped wooden house nearby.

Zhao Meng appeared quietly and suddenly before them, pacing nervously around the little one once before relaxing.

“Little Princess, what’s wrong with Little Taro?”

Before she could stop herself, the little one’s eyes welled up with tears, and she began to sob, unable to explain clearly. Little Taro tenderly took out a small handkerchief and gently wiped her lady’s tears. “Miss, Little Taro is fine. Please don’t cry. Uncle is like this…” With clear articulation, Little Taro explained the situation carefully, causing Zhao Meng to laugh heartily.

The little one pushed Little Taro’s hand away, her round eyes wide. “Uncle, you’re mean! How can you still laugh? Quickly examine Little Taro!”

Zhao Meng pretended to take Little Taro’s pulse, nodding his head and shaking it in an exaggerated manner. “Reporting to the little princess, I find the pulse steady. Little Taro is truly fine.”

The little one grew anxious. “Uncle, be serious! I definitely hurt Little Taro. Look carefully!”

Hearing his medical skills doubted by the little princess, Zhao Meng instantly shed his careless demeanor. “Yes, little princess.” He carefully took the pulse again, his face shifting from surprise to calm, then to astonishment.

The little one nearly burst into tears. Zhao Meng finally replied slowly, “Little Princess, Little Taro really is fine.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Assured, the little one smiled brightly, taking Little Taro’s hand. “Let’s go, let’s go back and eat roasted chicken.”

Zhao Meng, feeling ignored, finally spoke. “But…”

The little one’s steps immediately halted. She ran back. “But what? Uncle, is Little Taro hurt or not?”