Chapter 32

Grandma’s body was clearly fine, but she left so early in her previous life. This question had been bothering Zhan Xinyue.

It had caused her to hold Grandma’s hand and take her pulse whenever she had free time.

However, no matter how many times she tried, the pulse didn’t change. Apart from liver qi stagnation and constipation, there were no major problems.

The herbs had already dried. Zhan Xinyue didn’t decoct them immediately, but first asked Grandma if she was willing to try her treatment for her eyes.

“Grandma, I learned to read when I was a child, going to the brigade’s literacy class. Later, I saw that the people living in the cowshed were pitiful, so I secretly sent them firewood a few times. An old man gave me a medical book and taught me how to observe, listen, ask, and feel the pulse. Your vision is blurry now, and I think it’s caused by liver qi stagnation. The book says that Sheng Pu Huang Tang and Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can solve it. I’ve already prepared the herbs for this decoction. Grandma, do you want to try it?”

What Zhan Xinyue said was true. When she was seven or eight years old, she happened to be in the national literacy campaign. Chang Hong Brigade was close to the commune and was designated as a key literacy brigade. At that time, everyone, young and old, had to learn.

The teacher was very responsible and stayed there for over a year. However, most people couldn’t learn. Zhan Xinyue was smart and diligent, she cherished this hard-earned opportunity and learned most of the Chinese characters. Later, several intellectuals came to the cowshed. When Zhan Xinyue went to gather firewood, she would send it to them and learn some knowledge from them.

The people in the cowshed were initially afraid to teach her, but later, seeing that Zhan Xinyue was tight-lipped and truly diligent and sensible, they grew to like her and taught her everything, including traditional Chinese medicine.

After studying for a while, those people returned to the city, and they did leave some manuscripts for Zhan Xinyue. Their books had long been burned, and these manuscripts were rushed out overnight.

Later, Zhan Xinyue made money and studied traditional Chinese medicine again. With her foundation from childhood, she learned much faster this time. Even her master praised her for her extraordinary talent. In her previous life, Zhan Xinyue had also saved some people.

She was very confident in her medical skills.

She was just afraid that the old lady wouldn’t have faith in her. After all, she was only twenty years old. Usually, good traditional Chinese medicine practitioners were older.

If Grandma didn’t believe her, Zhan Xinyue would have to wait until Sheng Tunan came back and then take Grandma to the hospital.

“I believe you.” Grandma Sheng smiled and nodded, “My Xinyue is good at everything, she’ll definitely cure me.”

Although she said this, the old lady actually didn’t have much hope. But she was old, even if she took medicine and it harmed her body, it didn’t matter.

Her three sons and her old man were all gone. If it weren’t for her concern for Sheng Tunan, Grandma might not have been able to hold on for so long.

Now Sheng Tunan had a wife, and he was about to start a family. She felt that there was nothing left for her to cherish.

So, whether her eyes could be cured or not, whether there would be side effects or not, the old lady didn’t care anymore. If she could let Zhan Xinyue practice her skills, it would be one of the few things she could do for her descendants.

Zhan Xinyue didn’t know what Grandma was thinking. She just thought that the old lady really trusted her. She happily hummed “A Big River with Waves So Wide, The Wind Blows the Fragrant Rice Flowers on Both Banks…” and went to decoct the medicine.

She boiled the water over a high heat, then simmered it over a low heat. This would preserve the relatively complete medicinal efficacy.

The herbs from the 1970s were unpolluted, and they were hand-picked by Zhan Xinyue. They were genuine, so the medicine would have a quick effect.

After two or three hours, Zhan Xinyue let the decocted medicine cool slightly and brought it to Grandma.

“Grandma, the medicine is a little bitter. It’s better if you drink it all in one go.” Otherwise, it would be even more bitter if you drank it slowly.

“Okay.” The little old lady held the bowl with both hands and drank it all in one gulp, looking heroic, as if she had just finished a glass of fine Maotai.

“It’s not bitter at all.” The old lady smiled and said thank you, and she washed the medicine bowl herself.

After drinking it for three consecutive days, Zhan Xinyue took her pulse again and felt that Grandma’s liver qi stagnation had clearly eased a lot. Grandma was also surprised to find that her vision was a little clearer than before.

“Xinyue, it’s really his good fortune that Tunan can marry you. Grandma didn’t expect that you could really cure illnesses.”

The old lady was so happy that she blurted out what was on her mind.

“Oh, really?” Zhan Xinyue pretended to be angry, “So Grandma was lying to me all along, you didn’t believe me at all.”

She scared the old lady for a while, and finally Zhan Xinyue burst into laughter. Grandma realized she had been tricked.

Many people have a misconception that Chinese medicine needs to be taken for a long time, so it’s slow to take effect. In fact, a truly effective prescription only needs three days to have a noticeable effect.

Zhan Xinyue’s medical skills were good, and the herbs from the 1970s were natural and unpolluted, so the medicinal efficacy was good. Grandma saw a noticeable effect after drinking it for three days, her stagnation of liver qi had eased a lot, she had more energy, and she didn’t take a nap today. Her eyes were brighter and she couldn’t stay still. She sat in the courtyard and made cloth shoes for Zhan Xinyue.

Those who have worn cloth shoes know that the thousand-layer soles made by the elderly are the most comfortable for the feet.

Zhan Xinyue knew that Grandma’s liver qi stagnation was also caused by excessive thinking. Now that she had something to do, she focused her attention on the needle and thread, she didn’t have to worry about anything, which was good. So she didn’t persuade her, she just said,

“Grandma, don’t keep making soles all the time. You should look up at the green leaves and the sky every now and then. It’s good for your eyes and neck.”

“I’ll listen to Xinyue.” The little old lady smiled like a sunflower, “My granddaughter is so thoughtful. Grandma is happy to have you with me.”

Life seemed to have a glimmer of hope. It would be nice to be able to help Zhan Xinyue with her children in the future. She imagined that her children with Sheng Tunan would be incredibly beautiful and lovely.

When she was a hundred years old and went to the other side, she could tell the old man and her three sons that the Sheng family was flourishing.

For all these years, everyone in their family had treated Sheng Tunan as their own.

At the Sheng family’s, Grandma and Zhan Xinyue were enjoying a peaceful life, and everything was going in a good direction.

But the Zhan family was in chaos, a mess. For the past five days, they had been arguing at home every day.

It was all about money. Zhan Ai Guo kept pressuring Zhan Hongyan to ask Li Jian for a dowry.

Zhan Hongyan refused to go, but she stretched out her hand, “Dad, I don’t want the 50 yuan at home. The 20 yuan that the brigade leader gave, you have to give it to me.”

“What are you talking about? You wicked girl, that’s, that’s,” Zhan Ai Guo was so angry that he almost couldn’t catch his breath. He pointed at Zhan Hongyan and cursed, “That’s your mother’s money for selling herself!”

“It’s mine!” Zhan Hongyan was desperate to get the 50 yuan for Li Jian. She directly admitted, “It was me who was violated by Huang Jianjun that night. That money must be given to me!”