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The old Marquis had fallen unconscious in early March and today was the 10th of August, marking over five months of him lying in bed. During this period, the massages had been done exceptionally well, with some muscle atrophy but not severely. With systematic physical rehabilitation training, basic movements should not pose major problems.
The fact that he recognized Princess Changting, Jiang Zhanyan, and wanted to see his granddaughter-in-law indicated a certain level of consciousness.
Although his speech was unclear, the ability to communicate was a cause for joy.
Overall, the Marquis’s condition upon awakening was very favorable, even surpassing Lu Man’s previous expectations. This improvement was likely due to the fact that even when seemingly unconscious, he was treated as a normal person who could understand, with people often talking and engaging with him.
Upon hearing about the positive progress of the old Marquis, Princess Changting and the others were overjoyed. The fact that a soul separation illness patient could wake up, speak, recognize people, albeit unclearly, was unprecedented, and gradual improvement could be expected.
Princess Changting commended the two physicians for their skill, especially for the precise treatment resembling the case in the “He Family’s Medical Case Notes”, and then called Lu Man over, sitting her beside her on the bed. She praised, “Good child, your grandfather’s recovery is largely due to your efforts. Your grandmother saw how hard you worked, how you comforted the old man, and it’s all noted in his heart.”
The elders and the eldest grandson also expressed their full approval of Lu Man.
Lu Man modestly responded, “It’s not just me, the main credit goes to my grandfather’s good fortune and the grace of heaven.”
The delighted Princess Changting kept calling her a “good child”.
The old Marquis regained consciousness for the second time in the evening.
His eldest grandson, sitting by his bedside, exclaimed, “Grandfather is awake again.”
As everyone gathered around the bed, Princess Changting asked, “Husband, do you recognize me?”
The old Marquis’s eyes looked cloudy and lifeless, he managed to tug the corners of his mouth and softly uttered two words, “Chang…Ting.” Though unclear, everyone understood him.
The eldest grandson asked, “Grandfather, do you recognize your grandson?”
The old Marquis showed no response, leaving the eldest grandson disappointed. He then pointed to the three elders and asked, “What about them?”
Still no reaction from the old Marquis.
The three elders quickly introduced themselves with teary eyes, “Father, I am your eldest son, Yuanhong.”
“Father, I am your second son, Yuanzhao.”
“Father, I am your third son, Yuanchong.”
The old Marquis ignored them and turned his gaze back to Lu Man, calling out, “Granddaughter-in-law.”
Lu Man was deeply moved and whispered, “Grandfather, you still remember me? That’s wonderful. When you’re able to eat, your granddaughter-in-law will cook delicious food for you, I won’t break my promise.”
She mentioned food because she often talked to him about it when he was unconscious. After speaking, she wondered if she sounded a bit common, only talking about food. She chuckled, “Grandfather is a refined person, don’t mind your granddaughter-in-law being mundane. After all, food is essential to life, and appreciating good food is elegant.”
Seemingly amused, the old Marquis twitched his mouth and mumbled, “Sour…Sour…” A small silver thread even trickled down from his mouth.
“Sour yogurt, right? Alright, I’ll bring it for you tomorrow.” Lu Man smiled.
During the summer, Princess Changting often ate sour yogurt at the old Marquis’s bedside. Its unique taste left an impression on the old Marquis. It was a case of inadvertently hitting the mark – among all the senses, taste, with its association to “sour”, stood out the most.
The medicinal soup was ready, and although Physician Wang intended to feed the old Marquis, he remained closed-mouthed, so Lu Man took on the task herself.
Physician Fu and Physician Wang helped him sit up, but he soon slumped down. This process was repeated several times, leaving everyone sweating profusely. The road to recovery was indeed long and challenging.
Princess Changting chuckled, “The exercises Lu Man had the servant do with the old Marquis, those sit-ups, seem to have paid off. If not for those daily exercises, the old Marquis wouldn’t even manage to sit for a while.”
Finishing her statement, she glanced approvingly at Lu Man. Initially finding the exercises strange and inexplicable, she now realized their significance.
The Third Master expressed his gratitude to Lu Man, chuckling, “Zhanwei’s wife is extremely clever, quite capable.”
Once the old Marquis fell asleep again, everyone withdrew.
Princess Changting rewarded Physician Fu with two hundred taels of silver, Physician Wang with one hundred and fifty taels, and each of the serving staff with twenty taels of silver. Lu Man’s reward was a sandalwood jewelry box containing a set of exquisite phoenix-themed headpieces in red gold, silk, jade, and pearls. She mentioned that this jewelry set was passed down by her mother.
Lu Man accepted the gift with solemnity. It wasn’t just jewelry—it symbolized honor and substantial recognition.
As Lu Man left the upper chamber, the moon was high in the sky. The moonlight, accompanied by a gentle breeze carrying the faint scent of osmanthus, was refreshing.
Taking a few deep breaths, she smiled silently. The old Marquis had awakened, and her task of bringing joy and fortune was complete. In the nearly five months in this other world, over a hundred days, she had lived in a mix of fear and anticipation. Through her efforts, the seemingly lost game had been turned around.
However, the final victory had not yet been achieved. She hoped that certain individual wouldn’t seek his demise. Additionally, she hadn’t left this place she had always wanted to escape.
As for the next steps, she would ponder later, taking a rare moment to relax and unwind. One thing was certain—she needed to gradually step back from the old Marquis’s treatment team. Due to her previous intense efforts, the old Marquis seemed overly dependent on her…
Approaching the Willow Gate, she saw Liu Ya waiting there. Smiling, she handed the horn lamp to Xing, and Xing gave Lu Man a blessing, and said, “Congratulations, Third Young Madam. Everyone is ecstatic about the old Marquis waking up. Mama Wang and Lu Ying have cried several times already. Eighth Young Master isn’t sleeping, he says he’ll wait for news of the old Marquis waking up again.” Then she gently ushered Lu Man back inside.
Back at Orchid Pavilion, she found Jiang Zhankui sitting in the main hall veranda, with Mama Wang, Lu Ying, Tao, and Qingqing present.
Jiang Zhankui rushed over, asking, “Sister-in-law, has Grandfather woken up again?”
Lu Man smiled, “Yes, he has.”
Jiang Zhankui joyfully jumped and requested, “Sister-in-law, please send a letter to my brother to make him happy too.”
Lu Man walked towards the main hall, arm around his shoulder, and replied, “Princess Changting already sent a letter to Third Young Master this afternoon.”
To these individuals, the old Marquis waking up meant that military honors were shared equally between Lu Man and Jiang Zhanwei. Perhaps, Jiang Zhanwei deserved more credit as he had suffered injustice, was enduring hardships in the military camp, and faced potential danger.
Therefore, upon the old Marquis’s awakening, Princess Changting and the Second Master sent a message to the military camp for Jiang Zhanwei.