Chapter 371 Recalling the Past, New Clues
“Ge’er?” The old lady was taken aback.
"Yes, it was Wan Ge who treated my leg," Wen Zhihan said with a smile. "She also said that if I continue with the treatment, I still have a chance to stand up again!"
“It’s not just a chance, it’s definitely going to work,” Kong Wange chimed in from the side.
"Yes, yes, it will definitely work." Wen Zhihan chuckled.
"Good child, good child..." The old lady wiped away her tears, her voice trembling as she pulled Kong Wange closer: "Tell Grandma quickly, who did you learn your medical skills from? You can cure illnesses that the Wen family can't. You truly deserve to be Zhiyi's daughter. Grandma is so proud of you, so proud of you..."
Kong Wange sighed, picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped away the old lady's tears, then slowly said, "Grandma, my medical skills have a long story to tell..."
By the time Kong Wange recounted to the old lady how she was driven out of the Kong family, how she learned medicine from her master, and how she had wandered around outside all these years, the sun had already set.
The old lady felt both heartache and relief upon hearing this. She held Kong Wange's hand and sighed, "I have some impression of this young man, Yan Heli. I didn't expect him to be such a loyal and righteous person. It's just a pity that he and Zhiyi were destined to be apart. He has taught you for so many years, which has not been easy. Now that you have the ability, you should take good care of him in the future."
“That’s how it should be.” Kong Wange nodded.
“Sigh, when Zhiyi secretly took the medical book on Qihuang acupuncture out of the house, your grandfather and I were indeed angry for a long time. Now it seems that her choice was correct. Only a child with your strong will and talent can learn this acupuncture technique. If it had been in the Wen family, it would have been a waste of her talent. You must have suffered a lot while learning this acupuncture technique, right?”
Kong Wange's emotions also fluctuated. She smiled and said, "I didn't find it bitter, just a bit boring. Practicing day after day, but when I think that learning this acupuncture technique can carry on my mother's legacy and help people, I feel that it's all worth it."
"Grandma, I didn't bring this medical book with me. I left it in a safe place. I'll go get it tomorrow and return it to its rightful owner!"
The old lady shook her head: "No rush. You can keep this medical book for now. You are Zhiyi's child, and you are also a member of our acupuncture lineage. It's fine for you to have this medical book. Ge'er, remember your grandmother's words, don't tell anyone where the medical book is, including the people in this house! Just keep it to yourself!"
Kong Wange nodded solemnly: "I understand, Grandma."
The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "You are just like your mother. You look like her and you do things just like her. You are cautious, careful, hardworking, and diligent. Back then, your mother was completely absorbed in medical books, running wherever she was needed. Many people in the Wen family laughed at her, saying she was foolish. But little did they know that your mother's medical skills were honed through theory and practice. Talent alone is not enough; you also need hard work, perseverance, and passion. Your mother had all of these. It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy at all..."
The old lady wiped away her tears as she spoke.
Wen Zhihan, lying on the bed, also seemed to be lost in memories, her eyes reddening.
Kong Wange felt a pang of sadness and took the opportunity to ask, "Grandma, I've heard about what happened to my mother back then, but there's something I still want to ask you. Do you really not know who my mother had me with?"
The old lady sighed and shook her head, saying, "We asked Zhiyi back then, but she refused to tell us no matter what. If she had just told us the truth, your grandfather and I would have protected her and helped her have a wedding ceremony. That would have put the matter behind us. But she's just too stubborn!"
"Later, your mother's pregnancy out of wedlock somehow got out. People's views were not as open as they are now. As the head of the Wen family, your maternal grandfather had no choice but to expel your mother from the family in order to give everyone an explanation and save face for the family."
"Now that I think about it, your mother must have had her reasons for not wanting to talk about it. It's a pity she passed away early, and we can never know the truth. Ge'er, even if we take a step back, no matter what the reason was, a man who does something wrong and leaves a woman to face the gossip of the world is not a good husband or a good father. He is not worth you going to find him."
Kong Wange knew that her grandmother had misunderstood her. She didn't care whether she could find her biological father or not; what she cared about was the cause of her mother's death.
With the leads to the murder gone cold, she could only try to find some clues from these past events.
But she couldn't tell her grandmother the truth, as her grandmother was too old to handle such a shock.
"Yes, Grandma, I understand." Kong Wange didn't argue much and nodded mechanically.
She found that the more she understood her mother, the more indignant she felt for her mother's plight. Taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for so long: "Grandma, please forgive my boldness, but even if society was conservative back then, reputation is ultimately meaningless. Given your and Grandpa's social standing, it wouldn't have been impossible for you to protect my mother. After all, she is your and Grandpa's biological daughter. All these years later, I want to ask on behalf of my mother: have you ever regretted expelling her from the Wen family?"
The old lady's face stiffened, and then her tears flowed even more: "Ge'er, Grandma doesn't blame you. You asked a good question. To tell you the truth, Grandma has lived most of her life, and driving your mother out of the house is the biggest regret we've ever made! Since your mother left, I've been crying every day. Your grandfather doesn't say it, but he's also suffering inside."
The old lady wiped her eyes again, and after a while, she continued, "After what happened to your mother, your grandfather's health deteriorated day by day. Seeing that the talent in acupuncture was dwindling and the medicine lineage was eyeing the position of head of the family, your grandfather had the idea of calling Zhiyi back."
Kong Wange was stunned for a moment: "You mean, my grandfather once intended to bring my mother back to inherit the position of family head?"
The old lady nodded, her eyes reddening: "It's such a pity. None of us expected that Zhiyi would die in childbirth. When the news of her death reached Kyoto, your grandfather couldn't bear it. He felt that he had harmed his daughter. Not long after, his condition worsened and he passed away as well."
The old lady let out a long sigh and recalled, "In those days, the Wen family was leaderless and in complete chaos. The medicine lineage took the opportunity to launch an election for a new family head. Your uncle had a leg ailment, so how could he compete with the spirited Wen Zhengning? In the end, Wen Zhengning won by a large margin and inherited the position of family head."
After the old lady finished speaking, everyone in the room fell silent.
Kong Wange never expected that her grandfather had actually considered asking her mother to come back back then.
But before he could act, his mother passed away first.
What a coincidence!
Kong Wange clenched her fists at her sides and asked, "Grandma, how many people know that you and Grandpa intend to bring my mother back to inherit the position of family head?"
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