CHAPTER 1346: CHAPTER 687: INCENSE ASH

Update, asking for monthly votes, official subscriptions, and recommendation tickets support.

***********

Since Old Master Lian has spoken, naturally no one else in the old household would voluntarily suggest inviting a doctor for Lady Zhou. By dusk, Old Master Lian saw that Lady Zhou remained the same, and guessed that this time Lady Zhou’s visit to Lian Manman’s family did not gain any advantage, which is why she remained gloomy.

In the past, in such situations, someone would have to coax Lady Zhou. And whoever failed to let Lady Zhou gain the advantage, would be the one to coax her for the best effect. But at the moment, it was a time when help was needed, how could they again let someone lower themselves?

Old Master Lian, knowing Lady Zhou’s temperament well, secretly blamed Lady Zhou for being thoughtless, yet couldn’t help but worry.

Ultimately, Old Master Lian turned to Lian Lanlan and Lady Chiang to inquire about the details of their visit to Lian Manman’s family.

"...The old lady knelt before her fourth aunt... The fourth aunt and Manman said that yesterday they sent someone to find the fourth uncle and Wu Lang, asking to wait for news." Lady Chiang briefly mentioned, skipping over some details.

Lian Lanlan sat silently next to Lady Zhou.

"Again using her old tricks, not letting people be at ease." Old Master Lian sighed, "Why did she return like this?"

From experience, Old Master Lian judged that Lady Zhou had used kneeling to sway Lady Zhang into agreeing to help Lian Lanlan. Given this victory, why would Lady Zhou return so downcast?

"...The fourth aunt wants to conceive again, hasn’t been able to for these two years due to... her body being severely injured, then mentioned the lost child... and spoke about dreams and possession..." Lady Chiang said tactfully.

"Serves her right, serves her right!" Old Master Lian concluded that Lady Zhou had been frightened.

Unlike feigning illness, being frightened is a serious matter. Although Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou frequently bickered and never relented even in heated arguments, sometimes coming to blows, at this age, mutual support was most needed. Despite the descendants’ filial piety, many matters still can’t replace the spouse.

Seeing Lady Zhou calm down at the moment and his anger subsiding, Old Master Lian began to recall Lady Zhou’s virtues. Like how she meticulously cared for him during his stroke, and how when Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang sent over fabrics, Lady Zhou diligently sewed outfits for him by lamplight.

Those outfits were only completed for spring and summer, with many still unfinished.

Softening with his memories, Old Master Lian momentarily considered calling a doctor for Lady Zhou. However, thinking again, it would be too humiliating. Compared to inviting a doctor for someone feigning illness for sweet medicine, calling a doctor for an illness caused by fright due to harming a daughter-in-law and grandchildren’s lives was much worse in propriety.

Fortunately, for such symptoms, farmstead families have many traditional remedies. Among the most common and reportedly most effective is drinking incense ash water. Like most tenant farmers, Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou had a small shrine in their room, and the incense burner was filled with incense ash due to Lady Zhou’s diligent offerings.

Old Master Lian instructed Lady Chiang to boil water, mixing half a cup of incense ash into a cup of water to make a thick gray-black concoction. He watched as Lady He and Lady Chiang forcefully administered this concoction to Lady Zhou.

Incense ash water is naturally hard to swallow. After being force-fed, Lady Zhou immediately coughed violently, her face turning from pale to red due to the irritation.

The concoction surprisingly worked. Lady Zhou no longer lay down but sat cross-legged, eyes drooping, muttering to herself, saying who knows what.

Old Master Lian guessed that Lady Zhou was holding in some frustration she hadn’t vented, needing to brood for a while to recover, hence he didn’t worry about it.

Lady Zhou surprisingly didn’t stir up trouble, not mentioning a word about the incidents at Lian Manman’s family, allowing Lian Lanlan to breathe a sigh of relief. Initially, she’d worried that if things were scrutinized, it would be hard for her to explain. After all, back at Lian Manman’s family, she’d noticeably sided with Lian Manman to please her, clearly betraying Lady Zhou.

Knowing Lady Zhou’s usual unwillingness to suffer any losses, and seeing her not speak after such a defeat, Lian Lanlan concluded it was because Lady Zhou couldn’t bring herself to speak, having lost face at Lian Manman’s family. Thinking this, Lian Lanlan breathed a sigh of relief.

She would never consider whether Lady Zhou’s silence was to avoid mentioning her betrayal, out of concern for her. She only hoped Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang would return soon, so she secretly slipped a few Copper Coins to Liulang, instructing him to guard the village entrance so that he could inform her immediately upon Lian Shouxin or Wu Lang’s return.