Outside the door.
Tan’er rested her two little fists on her cheeks, staring unblinkingly at ng Qianqian: "Sister."
ng Qianqian said calmly: "She’s gone."
Tan’er’s apricot-like eyes widened.
Not listening for a little longer? That’s your own mother! She’s still alive!
Watching ng Qianqian’s brisk and resolute figure, faint tears surfaced in Tan’er’s eyes as she muttered sorrowfully, "Not even caring for her own mother... Sister is truly... so heartless! So unfeeling! So cold-hearted! So... utterly captivating!"
Excitent glead intensely in her eyes as she hurled herself forward to catch up!
The neighboring courtyard gate was ajar. ng Qianqian called out twice at the door to the elderly woman, but hearing no reply, she worried sothing had happened. Saying, "Granny, I’m coming in," she carefully pushed the door open and entered.
Nanny Li hadn’t lied to ng Qianqian; Granny really had taken a fall, witnessed by Ban Xia.
Ban Xia wanted to help her up but was startled into retreating back to her own yard by a fierce glare from the old woman.
ng Qianqian found her in the bedroom. Granny’s complexion was pallid, her forehead glistening with cold sweat, as though enduring excruciating pain.
"Granny."
ng Qianqian hurried to the bedside.
Granny didn’t soften her attitude toward ng Qianqian despite the latter having once helped repair her roof. She glared at ng Qianqian precisely as she’d done to Ban Xia.
But ng Qianqian was unfazed.
"Granny, let take a look at your leg."
Bending down slightly, ng Qianqian gently pulled back the quilt covering Granny.
A steely glint flickered across Granny’s eyes.
"Is it this leg?" ng Qianqian quickly spotted stiffness in her right leg. With practiced tenderness, she examined the leg’s bone, "The bone is fine. Granny, I’ll check your pulse now."
Without waiting for refusal, she took Granny’s withered hand and placed her fingertips upon the aged wrist.
Granny stared coldly at ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian was not unaware of Granny’s resistance and vigilance, but such reactions were only natural for a pitiful elder estranged from her family.
"Granny, is it arthritis?"
She asked softly.
Hoarse-voiced, Granny retorted gruffly, "You’re the doctor, you tell !"
ng Qianqian nodded. "You’re right. Let’s go by my redy, then."
Turning to Tan’er, who had just entered, she said, "Tan’er, bring the Blood Coagulation Ointnt."
Tucking close to ng Qianqian’s ear, Tan’er murmured, "Sister, there’s only one box of the Blood Coagulation Ointnt left in the entire Capital City. Are we really just giving it to her? What’ll we do if we need it for ourselves later?"
Blood Coagulation Ointnt was a renowned healing dicine, also particularly effective for arthritis.
ng Qianqian said firmly, "Go get it."
Tan’er pouted. "Fine."
Surveying the room briefly, ng Qianqian added, "I rember Madam Du made Dragon Bone Soup; fetch a bowl here and ask her to stir-fry so bamboo shoots and pork, lightly spiced."
Counting on her fingers one by one, Tan’er listed, "Blood Coagulation Ointnt, Dragon Bone Soup, bamboo shoot pork stir-fry... Got it!"
Standing, ng Qianqian strolled to the window. "Granny, you need to rest indoors but keep your room ventilated. The weather is good today; I’ll open the window for now and stop by in the afternoon to close it."
Granny ignored her. ng Qianqian took it as silent consent and propped the window open.
"Sister, it’s ready!"
Noticing leaves on Tan’er’s shoulder, ng Qianqian asked, "Did you climb over the wall to co here?"
Tan’er glanced skyward. "It’s close."
Setting the food box on the table, she addressed Granny, "Granny, I’ll often climb the wall to visit you going forward!"
Granny: "..."
Opening the food box lid released the mouthwatering aroma of rich soup mingling with the savory-spicy essence of bamboo shoots and pork.
Granny swallowed discreetly.
ng Qianqian smiled, applied the ointnt to Granny’s leg, and left the bottle on the table. "Granny, apply it twice a day. It should ease up by evening. I’ll check back tomorrow."
Exiting the courtyard, Tan’er asked curiously, "Sister, how did you know Granny likes spicy food?"
ng Qianqian replied, "Last ti, I saw a row of dried chili peppers hanging in her backyard."
Enlightened, Tan’er headed into her own yard and looked toward the East Wing. "Cousin, lately, I don’t know what he’s been up to. He hasn’t been ho much at all."
ng Qianqian remarked, "Isn’t he eting classmates?"
Crossing her arms, Tan’er said, "He’s from You State; what classmates would he have in the Capital City?"
ng Qianqian pondered before replying, "Maybe they’re fellow scholars from You State who ca to study here."
Yu Li was a guest; he had his own freedom. Where he chose to go was his business, not sothing his cousin had a right to interfere in.
"Ah, could it be that he’s heartbroken from not being able to marry you, Sister? Too devastated to face you now? Poor Cousin—"
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