Those years when I was Cannon fodder

I love your eldest sister the most

However, The Third Madam possessed a profound knowledge of herbal medicine, making it a daunting task to slip a sedative past her watchful eyes. As Chu Yu pondered a solution, she strolled towards the front yard.

Subconsciously, Chu Yu's gaze swept over the garden and noted the maid's absence.

Pressing forward unhindered, she soon arrived at the front yard, where a familiar figure caught her eye.

"Why, Third Miss, what brings you here? Is there something you require?" It was the maid who had carried her into the main hall during her previous visit to the front yard.

"I am here to find my father," Chu Yu replied calmly. After all, there were no regulations barring her from visiting her own father.

The maid instinctively glanced behind Chu Yu and hesitated for a moment before inquiring, "Is everything well with Third Madam?"

"Fear not, this time my mother specifically requested my presence," Chu Yu responded, her smile tinged with a hint of embarrassment. She expressed gratitude to the maid with a grateful gesture and said, "Your father is presently engrossed in official matters within the study. Allow me to guide you there, Third Miss."

Chu Yu nodded and followed the maid. They swiftly arrived at the study, where the maid instructed Chu Yu to wait outside while she announced her arrival.

Casually surveying her surroundings, Chu Yu's eyes soon landed on a grand tree. It bore a resemblance to the trees in the Qinglan Courtyard, yet it remained bereft of blossoms, instead bearing green fruits.

At a single glance, memories of the large strawberries her father had bestowed upon her came flooding back. They were vividly imprinted in her mind.

She gazed upwards, her vision now acute. Alas, the tree towered too high, and she could only discern the indistinct top. There appeared to be a fruit, faintly reddish in hue, reminiscent of those large strawberries. Yet, her certainty wavered.

Could it truly be?

Chu Yu silently contemplated. If indeed it was a large strawberry, the fruit her father had gifted her two months ago ought to remain immature.

In that moment, the maid emerged, a smile adorning her face. "Third Miss, Master is extending an invitation for you to join him."

Chu Yu expressed her gratitude, to which the maid replied, "It is my duty."

The maid politely smiled and led the way.

...

Chu Yu pushed open the door and stepped inside. Her father sat upright, holding a brush and meticulously inscribing strokes on a sheet of white paper. As she drew closer and stole a glance, Chu Yu was left dumbfounded.

What manner of peculiar symbols were these?

Upon closer examination, she could discern individual strokes and radicals, but they intersected haphazardly, some thick, others thin, lending an air of disorder.

Nevertheless, her father wrote with utmost seriousness, stroke by stroke, his countenance solemn.

Chu Yu became infected by his seriousness, subduing her own presence as she silently observed those symbols. The more she looked, the more she found them strangely beautiful, capturing her imagination.

Furrowing her brow, she continued to scrutinize the structure of the strokes.

In her past life, she had encountered countless diverse fonts. Some boasted uniform thickness in both horizontal and vertical strokes, while others featured wider horizontal strokes juxtaposed with slender vertical strokes, or vice versa. Most of those fonts, however, remained identifiable.

Yet, the symbols her father penned eluded her comprehension. Could they belong to a special script she had yet to learn?

With her repertoire of over 300 special characters, none resembled these enigmatic symbols. Yet, the longer Chu Yu observed them, the more she appreciated their allure, realizing it was no mere illusion.

At first glance, they appeared disorderly, yet upon closer inspection, they emanated a certain charm. Could it be another language? Similar to how she had mastered Chinese and English in her previous life, was this a more intricate language? Perhaps it adhered to a specific principle of character formation, rendering it seemingly chaotic yet possessing a hidden pattern?

"Xiaoyuer, do you comprehend?"

Though her father hadn't turned his head, he seemed to peer directly at Chu Yu.

She shook her head and ventured, "Father, are you writing in a different language?"

Chu Yu's father momentarily froze, his expression contemplative. "Indeed, it is another language known as Yunzhuan."

TL note: Yuanzhan- Cloud Seal

"Yunzhuan?" Chu Yu unconsciously repeated, as the peculiar symbols her father penned conjured ethereal images of billowing clouds.

Clouds flow shapelessly, so could the varying thickness of strokes be related to that?

Chu Yu silently speculated.

Witnessing her pensive countenance, Chu Yu's father couldn't help but smile. "It appears that my Xiaoyuer possesses a talent in this realm. Perhaps you could explore this path in the future."

Chu Yu's lips twitched. Did he desire her to become an esteemed calligrapher? Not only would she need to master that perplexing script, but now she had to delve into this Yunzhuan, a collection of ghostly symbols?

She hadn't come here to burden herself with more tasks, so she swiftly interjected, "Father, Mother has requested your presence. She lamented the dearth of a proper family dinner for far too long."

Upon hearing the first part, a crease formed on Chu Yu's father's brow, his face betraying reluctance. Yet, when he caught wind of the latter portion, his expression froze, his countenance betraying indecision as he regarded little Chu Yu.

Observing his prolonged silence, Chu Yu hastily pressed on, "Father, there is something I wish to discuss with you."

Intrigued, Chu Yu's father perked up and inquired, "What is the matter, Xiaoyuer?"

"Father, I believe I am already well. Must I continue taking the medicine?" Chu Yu pleaded.

"How could that be?" Chu Yu's father instinctively chided. "Doctor Xu stipulated that you must consume the medicine until you reach the age of ten, at the very least until you turn eight. You are but five years old."

Chu Yu wore a dissatisfied expression. "But Father, I truly feel much better."

"You are not the one to decide whether you are better or not. It is the doctor who holds that authority."

He spoke with a serious countenance and probed further, "Furthermore, did you not coax your mother into allowing Doctor Xu to switch to pills? The pills are easier to ingest and possess a milder aroma. Why this sudden discontent?"

Chu Yu had prepared her arguments in advance and wasted no time in presenting them. "Father, the pills are indeed good and not unpleasant, but if I take them, I must endure bland meals. Each time, Mother prepares an array of spicy dishes doused in chili oil, making my taste buds yearn for a tantalizing experience."

"Your mother can be quite unreasonable."

Chu Yu's father involuntarily furrowed his brow.

"Father," Chu Yu deliberately reached out, embracing his leg. "Just grant me this request, won't you? Or should I summon Doctor Xu here? He can examine me and prove that I am right. It is my own body, after all, and I can still discern its condition, correct?"

Having initially hesitated about the prospect of a proper family dinner, her father found it even harder to refuse now. This was a ploy employed by Chu Yu.

First, she introduced a request that would be challenging for her father to accede to, then followed it with a comparatively less burdensome one, ensuring he would not refuse.

Naturally, this tactic worked solely on her doting father. If she encountered someone with a colder disposition, her efforts would be in vain.

As expected, Chu Yu's father sighed. "You leave me with no other choice. I shall consult with Doctor Xu tomorrow and request an examination. If he agrees, he will allow you to halt the medicine temporarily."

"Father, I knew you were the best." Chu Yu rubbed her face against his pants, resolved to shower him with praise. "You love me more than anyone else."

To her surprise, Chu Yu's father responded, straight-faced. "I love your elder sister the most, followed by your second sister, and you come last."