☆ 3. Mother-in-Law

“What do you mean by stealing things!”

Wu Kaifen immediately shouted back, but when she met Ji Meng’s overly beautiful yet cold and stern eyes, her confidence inexplicably weakened:

“Don’t wrong me, I’m just an honest person.”

Wu Kaifen didn’t understand why she felt that Ji Meng was even more difficult to deal with today than before. She got up from the ground and said, “I have things to do at home, so I won’t hold this against you today,” She was about to run away.

Seeing this, Ji Meng’s eyes flashed slightly, and she blocked Wu Kaifen with the box: “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. It’s February, there’s no work to be done in the fields, so what could you possibly have to do?”

“If I misunderstood you, then that’s my fault. I just returned from town and bought some food, so why not come inside and sit for a while?”

In the past, upon hearing there was food and a chance to take advantage of something, Wu Kaifen would have jumped at the opportunity without needing to be asked, and she might even have started rummaging through her pockets. But this time, her wrinkled face fell, and her drooping eyes looked anxious and irritated.

“I already said I have things to do!”

Wu Kaifen shouted anxiously, forcefully pushing Ji Meng’s box aside, and hurriedly ran off in another direction.

“Mom, isn’t Grandma here to settle the score with me because of Brother Erhu?”

Wu Kaifen was old and hunched over, limping as she ran, but this time she was surprisingly fast, quickly darting far away. Su Qiu watched her fleeing figure in a daze and turned to Ji Meng to ask.

“No,” Ji Meng replied, glancing at the direction Wu Kaifen ran off to.

The incident with Su Erhu had only just happened, and their family lived at the foot of the mountain, farther away than theirs. It was possible that no one had returned home yet, so Wu Kaifen couldn’t possibly be here for her grandson.

Her guilty expression clearly indicated that she had done something wrong and was afraid of facing the consequences. However, ^[1]“she could run away from the monk but not from the temple” is a Chinese idiom (跑得了和尚跑不了庙). It means that while someone may escape immediate consequences or avoid a … Continue readingshe could run away from the monk but not from the temple, it wouldn’t be too late to settle things once she figured everything out.

The little girl was still young, and there was no need to burden her with too many complicated details. Ji Meng didn’t say much more, took her small hand again, and casually said,

“Maybe she just came to see Grandma. Let’s go inside, it’s almost noon. Has Qiuqiu eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

When it came to food, Su Qiu immediately forgot to ask anything else and replied. After a moment, she glanced at Ji Meng and quietly added,

“But Grandma and I had porridge in the morning, I cooked it. Grandma praised me, saying it was pretty good for my first time.”

Little Su Qiu was not even as tall as the stove, so she usually could only help by tending the fire and hadn’t learned to cook yet. But since her mom left early that morning and Grandma was too ill to get up, she was worried about Grandma being hungry. So, recalling how she had seen Grandma cook before, she made a pot of porridge herself.

The porridge turned out a bit dark and thick, resembling porridge but not quite, yet the little girl was very satisfied that at least it was cooked.

“Qiuqiu can already cook porridge? That’s amazing!”

Seeing the little girl sneak a glance at her, wanting praise yet feeling shy about it, Ji Meng couldn’t help but smile. She exaggeratedly complimented her and pulled the little girl into the courtyard.

The Su family’s house had five rooms besides the kitchen and the bathroom. Country folks are hospitable, so the main room was large. One of the four additional rooms was used as a storage room, while one was Su Qiu’s personal room, and another belonged to the original owner and Su Cheng.

Fang Aihua’s room was located in the inner part of the main room, making it convenient for her to pass through the kitchen to prepare breakfast early in the morning.

As Ji Meng and Su Qiu entered the courtyard, Su Qiu quickly ran to Grandma Fang Aihua’s room.

She had told Grandma about going out earlier, and now that she was back, she definitely needed to inform Grandma. Plus, since Wu Kaifen had come by earlier, she was worried that Grandma might have suffered some loss or trouble.

But before long, Su Qiu rushed out anxiously, her voice tinged with tears:

“Mom, Grandma, Grandma is missing!”

Ever since hearing the news of her son Su Cheng’s sacrifice, Fang Aihua, who used to be capable and efficient, had suddenly collapsed. She lost her spirit and strength, and for the past two days, she had been too weak to even get out of bed. In this condition, it was clearly abnormal for her not to be in the house.

Su Qiu had been having dreams lately about her mother leaving and something happening to Grandma. Now that Grandma was missing, she was filled with fear.

“When I left, I told Grandma where I was going. She was still feeling unwell, so how could she just disappear?”

“Missing?”

As Ji Meng just entered the main room and was about to go back to put away the box, she heard Su Qiu’s words, and her heart sank. Remembering Wu Kaifen’s guilty expression earlier, she instinctively felt something was wrong.

The book didn’t elaborate on Fang Aihua’s death, only briefly mentioning it when Su Qiu pulled the original owner to jump off the building.

Fang Aihua had been sent to the hospital after falling, but because the original owner had taken all the money, there was no money for treatment, and she ended up dying.

The specific day the incident happened, how she fell, and the circumstances surrounding it were not mentioned in the book.

Could it be today?

“Sansan, did something happen to Qiuqiu’s grandma today?”

【Well… Sansan currently has no energy and cannot specifically check the expanded plot in the book, but based on the current fluctuations in Su Qiu’s darkening detection value and the unstable movement of the spatial medium, it’s highly likely. The host should hurry and find the person.】 Sansan replied after flashing for two seconds.

“……”

“Have you checked the other rooms? Let’s search some more…”

Ji Meng took a deep breath to calm herself and said to Su Qiu. At this moment, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the door to the room on the left was half-open, not completely closed, and a foot was visible on the floor inside.

Ji Meng’s expression tightened as she quickly walked over and pushed the door open slightly, instantly spotting the person lying unconscious on the ground.

“Grandma!”

As Ji Meng opened the door, Su Qiu also saw Fang Aihua on the floor and rushed over, tears streaming down her face.

“Grandma, what happened to you?”

“Qiuqiu, don’t touch Grandma!”

Seeing the little girl reach out her hand, intending to shake her awake, Ji Meng shouted in alarm. She put down the box and hurried to the old lady’s side, bending down to listen for her heartbeat.

Ji Meng had studied traditional Chinese medicine in her previous life, and while she had participated in volunteer activities organized by her school, she had also specifically learned first aid, having encountered situations involving fainting before.

After confirming that the old lady still had a heartbeat, Ji Meng checked her pulse and listened for her breath. Noticing that both were weak, she quickly adjusted the old lady’s position to help her breathe more easily and began pressing on her nail beds in an attempt to rouse her.

“Mom, what happened to Grandma…”

Su Qiu couldn’t understand what Ji Meng was doing and cried as she asked her.

The scene in front of her seemed to blend with the dream where Grandma lay unconscious on the ground and then was covered with a white cloth in the hospital. She felt scared and at a loss, but she was too young to know what to do.

“Is Grandma going to be okay? Is she going to end up like Grandma Xiaohua, never waking up again?”

“Mom, please save Grandma. You have to save Grandma!”

The little girl cried, tears streaming down her face. Ji Meng felt a headache coming on, but at this moment, she couldn’t comfort her, she could only say,

“Mom will do her best to make sure Grandma is okay.”

“But Qiuqiu needs to help Mom with something. Quickly go call for help, we need to get Grandma to the hospital as soon as possible. Can you do that, Qiuqiu?”

Ji Meng’s voice was calm, with a hint of gentleness, and Su Qiu lifted her tear-filled eyes, finally calming down a bit.

“Call for help? Okay, I’ll go!”

Su Qiu sniffled and quickly got up, running outside as fast as she could.

“Help! Grandma Manman, Uncle Zhuzi…”

Su Qiu shouted as she ran, calling out to the neighbors living nearby.

Ji Meng took a deep breath, refocused her attention, and continued performing first aid on the old lady. Noticing that the old lady had some slight reactions, she adjusted the pressure and speed of her nail bed compressions.

Before long, she heard a faint groan, the old lady was regaining consciousness.

Ji Meng quickly called out to her:

“How are you? Are you okay? Where do you feel uncomfortable? Can you see me?”

Fang Aihua saw a blur in front of her and heard a buzzing in her ears. She squinted her eyes and opened her mouth slightly, but couldn’t manage to speak.

Seeing this, Ji Meng felt a bit anxious. She knew first aid but wasn’t a doctor, so she couldn’t assess the old lady’s current condition.

An elderly person suddenly collapsing could likely indicate a stroke. In the remote countryside of the 1970s, the roads were bumpy, making it difficult to get to the hospital, which could further harm her body. Moreover, medical facilities in the small town were outdated, so even if they got her there, it would still be critical.

Ji Meng couldn’t help but call for the system again in her mind, her voice sharp:

“Sansan, are you sure you have no energy left?”

“This is a matter of life and death. You also mentioned that the space-time medium is unstable right now. If little Su Qiu experiences significant stress or harm, it’s still possible she could recover her past memories and regress into darkness.”

“You can’t afford to go through that again without energy, we’d all be finished.”

【…Alright, there’s one last thing, host. Please wait for me a moment, I’ll check the old lady’s detailed storyline now.】

Sansan compromised, and a few seconds later, she continued:

【Host, I’ve found it. In the book, the old lady fell from the mountain while looking for little Su Qiu, hitting her head on a rock, which caused a severe intracranial hemorrhage. She died in the hospital because there was no money for surgery.】

【She’s currently collapsed at home, and after your first aid, she showed some signs of regaining consciousness. Even with the brain hemorrhage, the situation shouldn’t be too serious…】

【By the way, I just found out that the village doctor in your area is quite skilled, his acupuncture is good, and he can treat mild intracranial hemorrhages without surgery. You should have him take a look, if it’s not feasible, then take her to the hospital.】

As soon as Sansan finished speaking, there was movement outside, it was Su Qiu returning with someone.

“Uncle Shi, over here! Grandma isn’t in her room, please check on her quickly. No matter how I called, she didn’t wake up…”

“Hey, Su Qiu, don’t worry. Uncle Shi is going to check on Grandma right now.”

While speaking, a man in his fifties, dressed in a dark blue cotton jacket, came into the house, holding Su Qiu with one hand and carrying a wooden medicine box with the other. Upon noticing the old lady lying on the ground, he quickly approached her.

He felt her pulse and examined her eyes.

Noticing the old lady’s position as she lay on her side, he was surprised for a moment and asked, “Did you adjust her lying position?”

“Yeah, my dad is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, so I know a little about basic first aid, but I wasn’t sure… I didn’t dare move her much since I don’t know what her situation is.”

Ji Meng briefly explained and then asked him, “Uncle Shi, is my mom’s condition serious?”

Shi Feng couldn’t help but glance at Ji Meng again. Earlier, when Su Qiu went to find him, he was busy, and she didn’t say anything for fear of disturbing him before leaving.

He had only learned that Su Cheng’s wife had left with a suitcase that morning after overhearing some patients discussing it, which made him uneasy about Su Qiu. As soon as he finished his work, he locked up his small clinic and came over.

Upon arriving, he heard Su Qiu’s cries.

The person everyone thought had already left was actually at home, and he had even given first aid to Su Qiu’s grandmother.

Could it be that everyone was spreading rumors…?

Shi Feng frowned, realizing that now was not the time to think about such things, and quickly redirected his attention.

“Well, it’s not very serious, but it’s not light either. There is a slight brain hemorrhage. I’ll start by giving her two acupuncture needles.”

After speaking, Shi Feng took silver needles from the medicine box and sterilized them using traditional methods before beginning to administer acupuncture to Fang Aihua.

Ji Meng watched his skilled and swift movements without interrupting.

Earlier, Sansan had already read Shi Feng’s profile to her.

Shi Feng’s father was a well-known traditional Chinese medicine practitioner during the Republic of China era. He came to Xiaopan Village in the 1940s to escape the turmoil.

After his father fell ill and passed away, and following the accidental death of his wife, Shi Feng devoted himself to studying medicine.

Over the years, whether in Xiaopan Village or further villages, he would travel wherever there were difficult medical cases, improving his skills and earning great respect in the village.

He had a good relationship with the Su family. In the years before Su Qiu became an orphan, Shi Feng had taken care of her a lot and even paid for her school fees. Unfortunately, when Su Qiu was over eight years old, Shi Feng had an accident while treating someone in the mountains, he encountered a landslide on the road and tragically died.

After that, Su Qiu’s life became increasingly difficult, and at thirteen, she was forced to leave home and wander.

For someone like him, there was nothing to be overly worried about.

As expected, not long after the needles were inserted, Fang Aihua regained consciousness again, this time it was obvious that she was awake. Her eyes opened, and they no longer looked so cloudy.

Seeing this, Su Qiu’s small face lit up, and she hurriedly called out, “Grandma, you’re awake!”

“Awake? Don’t rush to talk yet.”

Shi Feng remained calm. He withdrew the needles and said, “Help me get her to the bed, but be careful, she shouldn’t be moved too much right now.”

“Okay,” Ji Meng replied, and along with Shi Feng, they carefully helped the old lady up and took her to the bed.

Since she couldn’t be moved much, they didn’t transfer her to another room but laid her down on the original bed.

“Her condition isn’t too serious, so there’s no need to go to the hospital, she can recuperate at home. She shouldn’t move much for the next few days, so take good care of her, and if you need anything, just call for me.”

After making sure she was comfortably lying on the bed, Shi Feng turned to Ji Meng and, remembering the person in front of him and her usual temperament, was concerned that she might find it troublesome. He didn’t mention the medicine brewing, only saying,

“You don’t have a clay pot at home, but I’ll brew the medicine for her and bring it over. Just pay attention to her diet, for these next couple of days, she should stick to light, liquid foods, and later, she’ll need to get enough nutrition.”

“Okay, thank you Uncle Shi.” Ji Meng nodded in agreement and asked a couple more questions about what to pay attention to before sending Shi Feng off.

When she returned, Fang Aihua was completely awake, but she had just come to and still seemed weak with her eyes half-closed.

However, upon seeing Ji Meng, she looked clearly surprised, with a hint of trembling in her expression. She couldn’t help but reach out and grab Ji Meng’s hand.

In her condition, she needed to avoid any major emotional fluctuations, so Ji Meng quickly said,

“Mom, I know what you want to ask, but you need to rest first. Let’s talk when you’re feeling better, okay?”

With the first “Mom,” it became familiar with the second.

After accepting that she had a daughter, accepting a mother-in-law didn’t seem too difficult, Ji Meng felt much more at ease now, and the word “Mom” came out naturally.

Her excessively beautiful face displayed a gentle and patient demeanor, completely different from the usual cold indifference of the original owner.

Fang Aihua was taken aback for a moment, feeling as if she wasn’t fully awake yet, and she trembled as she blinked.

The person in front of her was still there, it didn’t seem like a dream.

With so many unanswered questions, Fang Aihua’s body also didn’t allow her to sort things out right now. After a moment, she slowly let go of Ji Meng’s hand.

“Then you should rest for now.”

Seeing the old lady heed her advice, Ji Meng couldn’t help but smile.

Looking down at the time, it was already past noon. Thinking that they had only had a bit of porridge all day and feeling a bit hungry herself, Ji Meng let Qiuqiu stay with the old lady while she went to the kitchen to make lunch.

The kitchen of the Su family was converted from the old earthen-walled house, and it had seen better days. The only bright tile on the roof that let in light had long been blackened by smoke. In recent days, with Fang Aihua being sick and the original owner not cleaning up, the dim little room was dirty and messy, filled with an unpleasant smell of oil.

Ji Meng wrinkled her nose, adapting to the smell for a moment. She tidied up a bit, washed the large pot that Qiuqiu had used to cook the porridge in the morning, lit a fire, and started boiling water for rice.

Ji Meng had never used a wood-burning stove before, but she had gone on picnics in the past and had seen villagers cook with a wood stove during the two years she spent in the countryside growing medicinal herbs, so she knew the general process.

Although there were some hiccups along the way, she managed to cook the rice and also made a vegetable and meat porridge for the old lady using the few remaining vegetables and cured meat in the cupboard.

Fang Aihua’s condition still needed close observation, so Ji Meng brought the cooked meal straight to the room, and together with Qiuqiu, they had a simple meal in the room. They fed the old lady some porridge, and Shi Feng also delivered the medicine he had prepared.

Xiaopan Village was remote and poor, but there were plenty of wild medicinal herbs in the mountains.

The villagers were illiterate and didn’t understand these herbs, yet they survived, providing medicine for the villagers.

Although preparing traditional Chinese medicine was complicated, in this era, wild and pure medicinal herbs, when used correctly, were definitely more effective than Western medicine and had fewer side effects.

After drinking the medicine, the old lady’s condition improved significantly, at least her breathing was less labored, and her complexion had improved. After everything she had been through, and being unwell, she quickly fell asleep again due to exhaustion.

Having experienced her grandmother’s earlier immediate danger, Qiuqiu was afraid something might happen again and refused to leave, sitting by the bedside vigilantly. Her little body was tense, her eyes fixed on the old lady without blinking.

Ji Meng guessed that Qiuqiu must have been scared. With nothing else to do, she moved a stool over to sit beside her.

At the end of February, it was still chilly outside with strong winds, but inside the house, it was relatively comfortable. When Su Cheng built the house, he seemed to have considered the humidity of the south, making special damp-proofing treatments so that it wouldn’t be too cold in winter.

Ji Meng had just gone through a chaotic explosion, hurriedly returned from the train station upon realizing she had entered a book, and felt exhausted after all the commotion. She had only been sitting down for a short while when she started to feel drowsy.

Just then, Qiuqiu suddenly hesitantly called out to her,

“Mom, is Grandma like this because of the Eldest Grandma?”