I served as Li Bai's page.

The boat trip under the moon at Donglu Gate greatly enhanced the reputation of the Six Recluses of Zhuxi, and Li Bai's fame spread far and wide. The number of people visiting Zhuxi every day increased significantly, and before they knew it, several months had passed.

One day, an admirer of Li Bai came from Rencheng. Upon seeing Li Bai, he gave him a big hug without saying a word, repeatedly saying, "I've finally met you! I've been waiting in front of your house for half a month but haven't been able to see you."

Li Bai broke free from his embrace and asked, "How is my family?"

"I'm not quite sure, but a couple of days ago I saw a doctor carrying a medicine box coming out of your house," the man said.

Upon hearing this, Li Bai pushed the man aside and immediately shouted:

"Yuehua, get ready, pack your things and go home."

I immediately went to the bedroom to pack my things, then went to the stable to fetch the horse. Zhang Shuming saw me and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Someone in my family is sick, so we need to go back," Li Bai said.

"Brother Taibai, don't rush, take your time on the way back," Han Zhun said.

After Li Bai and I bid farewell to Han Zhun and the others, we mounted our horses and galloped away. Behind us, we heard the man shout, "Wait for me! I'm heading back to Rencheng too!"

"Thank you, brother. Take your time getting back," I said to him as I ran.

It was already dark when Li Bai and I returned to Rencheng. As we arrived at our door, I was about to knock when Li Bai said:

"Knock on the door and shout, but don't scare them."

"Yes, young master."

I walked to the door, knocked twice, and called out, "Pingyang, open the door! We're back!"

No one answered inside.

I knocked twice more hard and called out in a louder voice, "Pingyang, Boqin!"

Just then, they heard footsteps coming from inside towards the courtyard gate.

Sister Lin opened the door, saw us, and called inside, "Master and Yuehua are back."

Pingyang and Boqin ran out and hugged Li Bai, crying, "Father, Mother is sick."

Li Bai picked one up in each arm and hurried towards the bedroom. I closed the courtyard gate and followed him inside.

Xu Ziyan leaned weakly against the bed. Seeing us, tears streamed down her face. Li Bai put the child down, went over, and hugged her, saying:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been away from home when you were sick. I'm not leaving."

I went over and said, "Young Madam, you will definitely get better."

Xu Ziyan said weakly, "It's my fault, I'm always sick, and I've made you all worry."

"Madam, please don't speak, just lie down properly." Li Bai said, helping Xu Ziyan to lie flat on the bed.

I said to the two children, "Let's go out and let Daddy and Mommy talk for a while." Then I led Pingyang and Boqin out of Xu Ziyan's room.

Upon entering the living room, I asked Sister Lin, "How long has Madam been ill?"

"It's been several days. For the first few days, after taking the medicine, I could get up and walk around, but since yesterday I haven't been able to get out of bed."

"Does the doctor come every day?" I asked.

"No, they come every other day. It was the Fifteenth Young Master who invited them, and the Sixth Aunt comes every day to keep the Madam company," Sister Lin said.

"Okay, I understand. Go and make something to eat; the young master and I haven't eaten yet."

After Li Bai and I returned, Xu Ziyan's mood improved considerably, and her illness also improved; she was slowly able to walk again. The doctor still came every other day. Li Bai asked him what illness Xu Ziyan had, and the doctor said it was mainly because she hadn't fully recovered from her previous cold, and coupled with her weak constitution, it was prone to relapse. Each time the doctor came, he prescribed two days' worth of medicine, mainly to regulate her body.

Li Bai took meticulous care of Xu Ziyan, accompanying her on walks and chatting with her every day. Xu Ziyan recovered quickly. She said to Li Bai:

"My husband, I am completely cured. Go and do what you want to do."

Li Bai said, "What I want to do is stay with you and the children. I'm not leaving."

Xu Ziyan asked, half happy and half worried:

"My lord, have I been a burden to you? Your friends are waiting for you."

"Compared to my friends, I choose you," Li Bai replied. These words moved Xu Ziyan to tears once again.

Li Bai and I stayed at home for several months. During these months, Li Bai would occasionally go to Helan's Restaurant for drinks at the invitation of friends, but most of the time he would stay at home practicing calligraphy and writing poetry.

On this day, just as Li Bai and Xu Ziyan were practicing calligraphy with the children in the pavilion, there was a knock at the gate. I went to open the door, and Zhang Shuming and Han Zhun came in.

I called out to Li Bai, "Young Master, Mr. Zhang and the others have arrived."

"Brother Taibai, we've come to see your wife," Zhang Shuming said.

Li Bai and Xu Ziyan came out to greet them, saying, "Thank you for your concern. Please come inside."

After Zhang Shuming and the others sat down in the living room, I made tea for everyone and said:

"Young master, I'm going to buy groceries. Let's have lunch at home today."

Xu Ziyan said, "The six of them haven't gotten together for quite some time. Let's book a table at Helan's Restaurant and have the master accompany his friends there for drinks so they can have a good time."

Li Bai quickly replied, "Thank you for your understanding and support, Madam."

After booking a room at the restaurant, I went to the street to buy some light vegetables. When I got home, Li Bai and the others were still chatting in the living room.

I said, "Young master, I've booked the rooms and the food. You and Mr. Zhang can go over there now. Also, I've invited Registrar Lu; he'll go directly from the yamen to the restaurant."

"Yuehua, you've thought this through very well. Come with us," Li Bai said.

"Young Master, I'm not going. I'll stay home with the children," I said.

Li Bai took Zhang Shuming and the others to Helan's Restaurant for drinks. They drank from noon until night. Xu Ziyan started to worry again and said to me:

"Yuehua, go check on Li Bai, make sure he doesn't get drunk."

I comforted him, saying, "Madam, you don't need to worry about the young master's drinking. They are both quite old and will know their limits. You need to relax so that you can fully recover."

"That's what I say, but how can I not worry? When you're out there, I often dream that something has happened to you, and I often wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat," Xu Ziyan said.

"Madam, no wonder you're sick. You were already weak, and with all the fright you've been experiencing every few days, it's no wonder you're ill. We're not leaving, so don't worry, I'll go and find the young master right away."

I arrived at Helan's Restaurant, where Li Bai and the others were still drinking heartily. I went into the private room and asked:

"Are there enough dishes and wine? If not, I'll go ask the manager to bring more."

Zhang Shuming said, "That's enough. These are the last three cups. We'll call it a day after we finish them."

After they finished their last three cups, everyone was unsteady on their feet when they stood up. I had to borrow the innkeeper's carriage again to take them all back to their lodgings. After I finished, Li Bai said to me:

"Let's go back to the restaurant first, return the carriage, and then walk home."

"Young Master, they're all drunk. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I didn't dare to actually drink with them. It seems Madam sent you here again."

"Young Master is wise; we really can't let Madam worry any longer," I said.