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Princess Changting, supported by Marquis Jiang, hurried over and took the old Marquis’s hand, saying, “Husband, Ping, you’ve finally awakened. You have no idea what we’ve been through these days…”
Before she could finish her sentence, tears streamed down her face, followed by the rest of the family also breaking into tears.
The old Marquis’s eyes were fixed, his mouth trembling, as he seemed to be saying something in a soft, muddled voice.
The eldest son leaned in to listen and then reassured everyone, “Grandfather, don’t worry, Ninth grandson is fine, he’s awake now.” He then explained, “Grandfather was calling for Zhanyan.”
Third Master Jiang was moved to tears, kneeling at the bedside choked with emotion, “Father must have woken up because he was worried about Zhanyan.” He then called out, “Zhanyan, come and show your gratitude, thank Grandfather for his care. Even when he’s not conscious, he’s still thinking of you.”
Jiang Zhanyan was brought forward to the bedside to kowtow a few times.
The old Marquis glanced at Jiang Zhanyan, then shifted his gaze to Princess Changting. His mouth twitched, and he mumbled something, with drool escaping his lips.
Although his voice was barely audible and unclear, Princess Changting and others by the bedside managed to hear him calling out, “Chang…Ting, Chang…Ting…”
Grasping his hand, Princess Changting wept, “Yes, I am Changting, I am Changting.”
The old Marquis’s mouth moved again, uttering the word “Sun, Sun…”
His voice was faint and unclear, but after listening carefully, Princess Changting and the others realized he was calling out the word “Sun.”
Thinking he was calling for his grandson, Marquis Jiang directed the grandsons of the elderly men – the eldest son, the fourth son, the fifth son, the sixth son, and the seventh son – to go near his bedside. Not calling for Jiang Zhankui, he knew the old Marquis wouldn’t be asking for him, and the younger Jiang siblings didn’t move forward either.
The boys were touched that the old Marquis was still thinking of them in his condition. They leaned towards him, emotionally exclaiming, “Grandfather, your grandsons are here.”
Ignoring them, the old Marquis weakly continued, “Sun…Sun…” As he became more agitated, more saliva flowed. The eldest son quickly used his sleeve to wipe it away.
Marquis Jiang said, “Your grandsons are all here. Oh, Zhankui, come over.” He explained to the Marquis, “Zhanwei hasn’t returned yet.”
The old Marquis closed his eyes, his face reddening, and called out again, “Sun…Sun…”
Princess Changting had a realization and asked, “Husband, are you trying to say granddaughter-in-law?”
The old Marquis simply uttered an “Mm” in relief.
Raising her voice, Princess Changting called out, “Zhanwei’s wife, come forward quickly.” She didn’t call for Zhanju’s wife, as she believed the old Marquis wouldn’t be referring to her.
Lu Man was being pushed back by the crowd, unable to reach the front. Overwhelmed with emotions, she finally managed to revive the old Marquis, feeling relieved that the burden of guilt had been lifted, and she could continue living…
Responding to Princess Changting’s call, she hurriedly squeezed her way into the crowd.
Princess Changting pulled Lu Man and said, “Husband, take a look, she is Zhanwei’s wife, the granddaughter-in-law who brought you fortune when Zhanwei married her into the family. She’s the one who has been talking and amusing you every day, giving you massages. Husband, look at what a lovely granddaughter-in-law you have.”
The old Marquis looked bewildered and rubbed his nose.
Understanding the situation, Lu Man realized that although the old Marquis had been in a coma, he might have had subconscious awareness of his surroundings. He had never seen her before and didn’t recognize her as the person who had been by his side almost every day.
She moved closer to the bedside, allowing him to smell her scent, and gently held his arm, introducing herself, “Grandfather, I am your granddaughter-in-law, Lu. I’ve been here with you every day. Do you remember?”
Her voice was gentle and soothing, like a breeze brushing against the ears.
The old Marquis gazed at Lu Man for a moment, then chuckled and mumbled, “grand…daughter-in-law…”
After speaking, he closed his eyes.
Witnessing this, Princess Changting and the others were startled, exclaiming, “Husband, Father (Grandfather)!”
The old Marquis seemed unresponsive.
Physician Fu approached, checked his pulse, and smiled, “Old Marquis is fine, he must be tired and fell asleep again.”
Marquis Jiang asked puzzled, “He’s been sleeping for so long, why did he get tired after speaking a few words?”
Blushing, Physician Fu replied, “It’s the first time I’ve encountered such a case, I’m not sure why. But the old Marquis’s pulse is normal, and he looks peaceful, so he must be… asleep.”
Lu Man added, “For a healthy person, a brief conversation wouldn’t cause tiredness, but for a long-term patient, it might be due to physical exhaustion. Even if he woke up, due to lack of movement and past brain trauma, his various functions like speech, movement, reactions, memory, and intelligence won’t immediately return to normal. It will take a long time to recover.”
Marquis Jiang inquired, “How long is ‘a long time’ exactly?”
Shaking her head, Lu Man replied, “I’ve never seen a patient like this wake up before, so I can’t say for sure. It could be a month, or it could take one or two years. And whether he’ll fully recover to his pre-illness state is uncertain.”
Princess Changting wiped away tears, saying, “As long as he wakes up, no matter how long it takes or what state he’s in, we’ll be by his side. It’s been so difficult, I’ve never heard of a patient with a soul separation illness waking up.”
Marquis Jiang, with teary eyes, added, “That’s right, Father waking up is a blessing from above.” Glancing at Lu Man, he continued, “And thanks to Zhanwei’s wife for offering medical books and showing filial piety by Father’s bedside every day. She’s the right daughter-in-law for our family.”
Third Master Jiang chimed in, “Indeed, Zhanwei’s wife is a hero in our family, we’ll remember her kindness.”
Even the Second Master, for the first time, looked at Lu Man with admiration, stroking his beard and saying, “Zhanwei’s wife is truly fortunate.”
Lu Man humbly replied, “It’s the old Marquis’s great fortune, the care of Princess Changting, the filial piety of the descendants, and the miraculous healing hands of the two physicians…”
The room was filled with joy and gratitude, with praises for Lu Man, thanks to the physicians, gratitude towards Master Xinghai, and blessings for the old Marquis and Princess Changting. Amid the commotion, Princess Changting, aside from leaving the three elders, the eldest son, and Lu Man, asked everyone else to leave.
They remained, awaiting the old Marquis’s next awakening.
Lu Man, Physician Fu, and Physician Wang discussed the recovery treatment plan for the old Marquis post-awakening, including language training, physical exercises, psychological support, and more. Lu Man even sketched some rehabilitation equipment designs based on her memories from a past life, suggesting they be made for the rehabilitation room.