"Little sister, what are you doing?"
The second son, Ruan Yi, saw Ruan Meng, took out cotton cloth and needles and thread, and couldn't help but ask her questions out of curiosity.
Ruan Meng gave a description, but Ruan Yi's eyes remained blank.
The older brother, who was standing nearby, understood. He picked up a twig and asked Ruan Meng to draw a shape on the ground. Only then did Ruan Yi understand.
"Little sister, so this is what you wanted to do! To wear it on your wrist?"
"Yes! We need to sew it thicker. Many seafoods have thorns, and even some shellfish are quite rough and can easily prick your hands."
As Ruan Meng spoke, she had already threaded the needle. She had never done needlework in her previous life, but she had still sewed for others before. Even though the other person saw the centipede-like stitches, their expression was indescribable.
That was almost the only blemish on her medical career.
The second brother noticed that although Ruan Meng's movements were decisive, her technique was indeed...
He was a bit rough around the edges, so he said, "I'll do it!"
Ruan Meng was shocked!
In the old mansion, there were old women who specialized in needlework, and maids who served in each courtyard. My second brother could do things that even my eldest sister-in-law had never done!
Moreover, he has an excellent ability to botch things...
Ruan Meng looked up to express her gratitude, but refused to let go.
Ruan Yi was not stupid. He could see his sister's disdain and, being rebellious, he was determined to prove himself and avenge his previous humiliation!
It was the eldest brother who said, "Meng'er, let your second brother try. He's really good at it! He did a pretty good job."
Ruan Mengsong released his grip, and the cotton cloth and needle and thread fell into Ruan Yi's hands.
Seeing Ruan Meng's confusion, her elder brother explained, "In the past, there was an old woman in the manor who did needlework. She was getting old, and her eyesight was gradually failing..."
"She's not very good at threading needles or mending. She's worried that your sister-in-law will find out, or that her family will complain, and she'll lose her job or be kicked out of the mansion..."
"But what she didn't know was that everyone in the household, including your sister-in-law, had noticed. Only you, Meng'er, were too young and didn't pay attention at the time."
“She’s an old servant in the household. She’s been serving my father since he was young and before he became successful. She’s spent her whole life in the household, without any children. How could my father and we possibly kick her out just because she’s useless?”
“Your second brother is kind-hearted. Besides the maids helping him thread needles, he also helps with many needlework tasks at night.”
"After practicing like this for several years, my skills are no less than those of a young maid."
Ruan Meng couldn't help but ask, "How did you know, brother?"
The older brother laughed and said, "After a while, you'll be able to tell who made the marks on your clothes."
Ruan Meng smiled and looked at her second brother's serious expression, her expression softening slightly.
But in an instant, the smile froze.
Because she remembered that before the house was ransacked, her sister-in-law dismissed the household servants, cleaned the house, and gave this old woman a sum of money, enough for her to live out her old age...
She left just before her family's house was ransacked, and died in front of her father's tombstone with a bowl of poisoned wine.
The elder sister-in-law learned this from the maid who came to see her off before leaving the capital.
The Ruan family members were not only loyal and righteous, but even the servants in the mansion were tough and resilient.
In no time, Ruan Yi had sewed a coarse cloth glove.
Ruan Yi tried it on and found that he couldn't see any stitches; the size was just right.
When her sister-in-law offered to help, Ruan Meng remembered something more important.
She opened the medicine packet, prepared the prescription herself, and with her third brother's help, started a fire to decoct the medicine.
At the same time, she took out the needle bag she had bought at the pharmacy and gave her older brother acupuncture.
The elder brother appeared relaxed, while his sister-in-law was incredibly nervous, even though Ruan Meng had already fully demonstrated her knowledge of seafood...
But since it concerned her husband's health, he couldn't withstand any more strain, and her sister-in-law was still very worried.
After one acupuncture session, the elder brother looked much more relaxed. Ruan Yi asked him how he felt, and Ruan Qian replied:
"My headache is much better, and my symptoms such as chest tightness and fatigue have also eased."
The sister-in-law breathed a sigh of relief, and then heard Ruan Meng say, "Sister-in-law, I'll take care of everything except acupuncture and decocting medicine. I'd like to trouble you to give my brother a massage when you have time. I'll teach you the techniques now."
The eldest sister-in-law looked serious.
Ruan Meng had her older brother lie down and began the demonstration.
"This is the Fengchi acupoint. Massage it fifteen times each time, then rub it towards both sides of the neck..."
After completing the operation, the older brother actually fell asleep.
The sister-in-law felt very sorry for him and reminded him, "Don't wake him up, let him sleep well."
“He hasn’t had a good night’s sleep since his father was imprisoned and exiled. He’s been forcing himself to stay awake.”
Ruan Zheng suddenly spoke up, "When I got up in the middle of the night yesterday, I found my elder brother standing alone on the beach, quietly watching the sea..."
Ruan Meng was startled; she had been sleeping soundly last night and hadn't noticed anything.
What was your older brother thinking about all that time?
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