Chapter 26 The Divine Doctor Takes Action; He'd Rather Die in Pain Than Be Treated!
The next morning, the sky was overcast.
Lu Zhanting opened his eyes. The bed beside him was empty, with only a trace of warmth remaining.
His heart tightened, and he sat up abruptly.
Not far away, Su Wanqing was already dressed and facing the blurry bronze mirror. She had tied her long black hair into a neat bun, revealing her slender and fair nape.
"Awake?" Su Wanqing noticed his movement in the mirror and turned around. "You didn't sleep well in the ancestral hall, lie down for a while longer."
"I'm not going to sleep."
Lu Zhanting got out of bed barefoot, walked a few steps behind her, wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, and rested his chin naturally on her shoulder.
"To the kitchen?" His voice was hoarse from the early morning.
"Yes." Su Wanqing responded, "Grandma's health is of utmost importance, so we must begin the medicinal diet today."
"I'll go with you." Lu Zhanting's tone left no room for negotiation.
The Lu family's main kitchen is a place that patronizes the powerful and bullies the weak; it's a place that devours people.
If he weren't there, those servants would have torn her to pieces.
Su Wanqing did not refuse.
She understood that in this strictly hierarchical family, Lu Zhanting's companionship was her strongest pass.
After a quick wash, the two walked out of the meditation hall side by side.
The Lu family mansion was quiet in the early morning, with only the rustling sound of a maid sweeping the floor with a bamboo broom.
Upon seeing Lu Zhanting and Su Wanqing, they all stopped what they were doing, lowered their heads, and respectfully retreated to the side of the road.
Those looks, which yesterday were undisguised disdain, have today turned into awe and curiosity.
Clearly, Su Wanqing's overnight turnaround at Songhetang has become the most sensational rumor among the entire Lu family's servants.
The Lu family's large kitchen is a separate courtyard; even before anyone arrives, the aroma of firewood and food wafts over.
The moment the two stepped into the courtyard, the dozens of people who had been bustling about suddenly fell silent, as if frozen in place.
All eyes were fixed on them.
A slightly overweight middle-aged man with a small mustache was the leader of the group.
He was the kitchen manager, Liu, and also a distant relative of his stepmother Liu Yuzhen's family.
When Manager Liu saw Lu Zhanting, his face instantly lit up with a fawning smile, and he bowed and greeted him: "Young Master Zhanting, what brings you here? Please tell us what you would like to eat. We would not have troubled you to come in person."
His gaze swept over Su Wanqing like a knife, filled with undisguised contempt.
"I came with my wife to prepare medicinal food for my grandmother."
Lu Zhanting spoke calmly, but he emphasized the words "my wife" heavily, as if asserting his sovereignty.
Manager Liu's smile froze on his face.
"Prepare medicinal meals for... for the old lady?" He rolled his eyes and stared at Su Wanqing. "Young mistress, you know how to do this? This is not child's play. The old lady's diet is always overseen by a professional nutritionist."
"From today onwards, that's no longer necessary."
Su Wanqing spoke, her voice as cold as ice, "I will personally take charge of Grandma's meals."
After she finished speaking, she didn't even look at him and walked straight to the ingredients area.
"Oh, young mistress!" Steward Liu rushed over, spreading his arms to block her way, a fake smile on his face. "This is not the rule! The kitchen's ingredients are all in fixed quantities. If you need anything, you have to write a list first, and then I have to report it to Madam for approval."
This is blatant obstruction.
The pressure around Lu Zhanting instantly dropped, his eyes turned cold, and he was about to speak.
Su Wanqing reached out and gently pressed down on the back of his hand.
She looked up at Steward Liu and suddenly smiled.
"Manager Liu, I understand the rules you mentioned."
"However, I already asked my grandmother yesterday, and she gave me her permission. She said that I can take anything in the kitchen as long as it is necessary for her health."
She paused, her voice suddenly turning cold.
"What, Steward Liu, do you think that Grandma's orders also need Madam's approval?"
A huge accusation was just slapped on their heads.
Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Manager Liu's forehead.
No matter how much he relied on his master's power, he wouldn't dare to openly question the old lady's authority.
"No... I wouldn't dare! I would never dare!" His legs went weak, and he quickly stepped aside, his posture so humble it was almost groveling. "It was my mistake! Young Madam, please, take whatever you like!"
Su Wanqing didn't give him another glance and walked to the food shelf.
The kitchen was filled with a dazzling array of delicacies.
Fresh vegetables glistened with dew, fine meats displayed distinct textures, and various precious dried goods and seafood were neatly arranged.
Su Wanqing's gaze swept over the expensive ingredients without lingering for a moment.
She only chose a few of the most ordinary things.
A small handful of rice, a few red dates, and a piece of pork loin with bones still attached.
"That's...that's all?" Manager Liu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He thought she would ask for the most expensive item so he could go back and complain to his wife.
Who knew that she would choose scraps that even servants wouldn't bother eating?
"Okay, also give me a clean clay pot and a small stove," Su Wanqing instructed.
Everything was prepared quickly.
Su Wanqing did not cook in the main kitchen, but only asked Xiao Cui to take the things back to Jing Si Courtyard.
The most crucial secret of this medicinal dish must never be revealed to anyone.
Back at the Jing Si Courtyard, Su Wanqing sent Xiao Cui away.
She carefully washed all the ingredients, took out the pork spine, and neatly cracked it with the back of a knife.
Put the bones, rice, and dates into a clay pot.
Finally, with a thought, a warm jade bottle appeared in her palm. She tilted the bottle and silently poured in half a bottle of clear, sweet spring water.
After doing all this, she placed the casserole on the small stove and simmered it over a low flame.
Throughout the morning, a strange fragrance permeated the Jing Si Courtyard.
The aroma is light and lingering, not overpowering, yet possesses a captivating and penetrating power. As it enters the nostrils, it calms the mind and stimulates the palate.
The porridge was ready around noon.
The clear rice water turned into a thick, milky white liquid, the rice grains dissolved into nothingness, and the remaining meat on the pork bones had long since melted and fallen off the bone.
Su Wanqing ladled out a bowl, carried it on a tray herself, and delivered it to Songhe Hall.
When she arrived, the old lady was being helped by her maid and was preparing to have lunch.
Several delicate dishes were laid out on the table, but the old lady had no appetite at all and just lazily leaned on the soft pillow.
"Grandma, I've made you some porridge, please try it." Su Wanqing placed the bowl of porridge steadily on the table.
Liu Yuzhen and Song Tingyu were present.
The two men had clearly heard rumors and came specifically to see her make a fool of herself.
Song Tingyu glanced at the plain white porridge and curled her lips into a sarcastic smile: "Miss Su has been busy all morning, and this is all you've cooked? I thought it was some kind of magic elixir."
"The old lady's body is too weak to tolerate strong tonics; the key to a good diet is moderation," Su Wanqing replied calmly.
The old lady was invigorated by the fragrance, glanced at the porridge bowl, and instructed the maid, "Give me half a bowl."
The maid carefully scooped half a bowl of porridge and brought it to the old lady's lips.
The old lady took a bite.
Just one bite.
Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, which had become cloudy from long illness.
This porridge melts in your mouth, smooth and silky, with the pure, rich aroma of rice and bone exploding on your tongue. Even more wonderfully, as the porridge slides down your throat, a warm current instantly surges through your limbs and bones, dispelling the coldness lingering in your body inch by inch.
My whole body felt like I was soaking in a warm, cozy hot spring, soothing every pore of my skin.
"Good...good porridge!" the old lady urged eagerly, "One more spoonful!"
One small bite, then another.
To the astonishment of Liu Yuzhen and Song Tingyu, who looked as if they had seen a ghost, the old lady, who usually couldn't even swallow half a bowl of rice, actually drank the entire bowl of porridge clean, leaving not a single drop.
After drinking it, a long-lost healthy blush appeared on her originally sallow face, and she exuded a lot of energy.
"This porridge... is really good." The old lady looked at Su Wanqing with undisguised admiration, still savoring the taste. "Child, you've gone to great lengths."
"I'm glad Grandma likes it. I'll cook it for you every day from now on," Su Wanqing said with a smile.
For the next few days, Su Wanqing delivered the medicinal meals to Songhetang on time every day.
Sometimes it's porridge, sometimes it's soup.
The ingredients are ordinary, but the effects are nothing short of miraculous.
The old lady's health improved miraculously at a speed visible to the naked eye.
On the first day, she was able to get out of bed and walk around on her own.
On the third day, she was able to walk in the yard without anyone's help.
On the fifth day, she even enthusiastically asked the servants to bring flower seeds and personally bent down to tend to the long-abandoned little garden, humming a tune from her youth.
Her sallow complexion became rosy and radiant, her voice became loud and clear, and she seemed to have become ten years younger, full of energy.
This incredible change completely shocked the entire Lu family.
The servants whispered among themselves that this young mistress from the countryside was no ordinary person and possessed magical powers.
Liu Yuzhen and Song Tingyu were completely panicked.
They were frantically trying to find out what secret formula Su Wanqing had used, and even sent people to search through the ashes in the Jing Si Courtyard in the middle of the night, but found nothing but a pile of ordinary charcoal ash.
Su Wanqing used the most ordinary ingredients.
The more they couldn't understand it, the more terrified they became.
This feeling of the situation being out of control made them extremely uneasy, unable to eat or sleep properly.
In contrast to their anxiety, another member of the Lu family was filled with intense curiosity.
Lu Yao, Lu Zhanting's cousin, is a rebellious and troublesome girl who wears jeans.
At the tea party that day, she was stunned by Su Wanqing's words, "Beautiful yet not vying for spring's favor." In the past few days, the rumors about the medicinal cuisine have made her admire this "sister-in-law" even more.
That afternoon, Su Wanqing was drying herbs in the courtyard when Lu Yao arrived uninvited.
She swaggered in, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth and her hands in her pockets.
"Hey, you're my fairy sister-in-law?" Lu Yao tilted her head and looked her up and down without any politeness.
Su Wanqing raised her head, her eyes calm: "Is there something you need?"
"Can't I come visit if there's nothing wrong?" Lu Yao squatted down next to her, picked up a herb and smelled it, then frowned from the pungent smell. "I heard you really saved my great-grandmother? You're amazing."
"I just did what I was supposed to do."
"Tch, so boring." Lu Yao pouted and plopped down on the ground. "My brother is like an ice block, I thought his wife would be just as boring. But I didn't expect you to be so much more interesting than him."
She suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"Let me tell you, Liu Yuzhen and that guy surnamed Song are no good. Be careful and don't fall into their trap."
Su Wanqing glanced at her with some surprise.
"Why are you looking at me? I just can't stand their hypocritical attitude," Lu Yao said nonchalantly. "Anyway, if they dare to cause you trouble in the future, come find me. I'm not good at fighting, but I can still help you curse them out."
Su Wanqing couldn't help but laugh.
This Lu Yao is quite a remarkable person.
"Okay, I've got it. Thanks."
"No need to thank me." Lu Yao patted her bottom and stood up. "I'm leaving. By the way, do you still have that 'immortal porridge'? Give me a bowl too, I heard it can make you beautiful."
"That's all. If you want some, come early tomorrow."
"You stingy little thing." Lu Yao made a face and ran away in a flash.
Watching her disappearing figure, Su Wanqing's lips curled into a genuine smile.
This cold mansion does not seem to be a monolithic entity.
Night fell, and the Lu family held their dinner.
The atmosphere at the dinner table today was strange.
The old lady made an unprecedented appearance; she sat next to Lu Zhenguo, full of energy and chatting animatedly.
Lu Zhenguo, sitting in the main seat, had a gloomy face and remained silent.
The stark contrast made the air feel oppressive.
Su Wanqing and Lu Zhanting sat to the left of the old lady; she was now qualified to sit at the main table.
Liu Yuzhen and Song Tingyu looked as if they had swallowed flies, especially Song Tingyu, whose jealousy was almost tangible as she looked at Su Wanqing chatting and laughing with the old lady.
Outside the window, it had started raining sometime earlier, and the air was cold and damp.
"Cough...cough cough..."
Lu Zhenguo suddenly frowned and let out two muffled coughs.
He subconsciously raised his hand, his knuckles turning white as he pressed his hand tightly against his temple. The color drained from his face at a visible speed, turning it deathly pale.
They've arrived.
Su Wanqing and Lu Zhanting exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.
"Zhenguo, has he relapsed again?" the old lady asked immediately with concern.
“…It’s nothing.” Lu Zhenguo squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, but the fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead betrayed him.
"You're still alright? Look at your face!" The old lady was both distressed and angry. "You're so stubborn! Those foreign pills Tingyu found didn't work, and the Chinese medicine Dr. Zhang prescribed tasted like water. In my opinion, you shouldn't have trusted them!"
She turned her head sharply to look at Su Wanqing, her tone instantly becoming gentle and loving.
"Wanqing, what can you do about your grandfather's chronic headache?"
In an instant, everyone's eyes at the table were focused on Su Wanqing.
This is the most crucial move.
Su Wanqing put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked behind Lu Zhenguo.
She didn't answer, but said softly, "Grandpa, don't move, let me massage you."
She stretched out her fingers and pressed lightly on several acupoints on his head.
The fingertips were slender, yet they carried a warm and strange force, as if they could penetrate the skin, flesh, and bones, reaching the lesion and gradually soothing and dispelling the excruciating pain that lingered in the brain like thousands of steel needles churning inside.
Lu Zhenguo's taut, iron-like body involuntarily relaxed.
He closed his eyes, greedily savoring this moment of respite.
After a long while, Su Wanqing withdrew her hand.
Lu Zhenguo opened his eyes, his face still pale, but the pain in his eyes had indeed lessened considerably.
"Who taught you this technique?" His voice was hoarse as he stared intently at Su Wanqing.
“It was taught by a barefoot doctor in the countryside, it’s not very proper.” Su Wanqing said modestly, “Grandpa’s illness was caused by the cold and external injuries he suffered on the battlefield in his early years, which caused stagnation deep in his meridians. Ordinary medicines can only reach the skin and flesh, not the root of the disease, so it keeps recurring and cannot be cured.”
Lu Zhenguo's eyes suddenly sharpened.
This country girl, whom he had never thought much of, unexpectedly revealed the root cause of his decades-long illness!
"Then, in your opinion, how should it be cured completely?" he pressed, his voice carrying a hint of urgency that he himself was unaware of.
"Medicine can't cure all diseases, and Buddha can only help those who are destined to be saved."
Instead of answering, Su Wanqing asked a question, uttering a profound and enigmatic statement.
"The root of the illness is deep-rooted and cannot be cured overnight. It requires a gradual approach using both internal and external methods. But most importantly, it depends on you, Grandpa..."
She looked directly into Lu Zhenguo's dignified eyes, each word spoken with perfect clarity.
"Do you trust me, your granddaughter-in-law from the countryside?"
She kicked the choice back hard.
Lu Zhenguo remained silent.
He looked at Su Wanqing in front of him, the woman he had always regarded as a disgrace to his family.
She stood there calmly, neither humble nor arrogant, with clear yet unfathomable eyes, exuding an air of confidence that allowed her to control everything.
How can you make him believe her?
Why entrust your life to this young girl?
His pride, his dignity, and his authority as the head of the family would never allow it!
"Nonsense!"
He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang and roared, "My body, Lu Zhenguo's, is none of your business! Get out of here! All of you, get out of here!"
After saying that, he suddenly stood up and strode away without looking back.
The figure remained resolute, yet in the instant it turned around, a hint of undisguised panic and disarray was revealed.
The dining room was deathly silent.
The old lady sighed deeply and shook her head in disappointment.
On Liu Yuzhen and Song Tingyu's faces were undisguised smugness and mockery.
Only Su Wanqing remained calm and composed.
She walked back to her seat, picked up her chopsticks again, and took a bite of vegetables, as if the storm had never happened.
Under the table, a warm, dry, large hand grasped hers.
What Lu Zhanting received from his palm was complete trust and support.
Su Wanqing knew that she had achieved her goal for tonight.
The bait has been cast, and the big fish has already seen it.
Although it is still struggling desperately and resisting with its proud sharp teeth, as long as the excruciating pain that penetrates to the bone is still there, there will always be a day when it can't help but bite the hook.
Next, she just needs to wait quietly.
Waiting for a night with even more intense wind and rain.
Waiting for that proud, large fish to swim into her net.
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