Chapter 118: Mother and Daughter

The villa belonging to Tang Lingwu's family seemed to have only three floors, and the decoration was not luxurious—even a bit old-fashioned.

"This is my grandfather's old house..." Tang Lingwu said softly, "My father doesn't live here; he's in the provincial capital."

"And your mother?"

"The doctor said it's better for her to stay in a familiar environment."

Zheng Fa had been puzzled before; setting aside Tang Lingwu's grades, even her family's financial situation suggested she shouldn't be studying at Qingshui Middle School.

Now that he thought about it, she probably stayed there to keep her mother company.

On the first floor of the villa, a person who looked like a housekeeper was cleaning, but her movements were light and quiet, making not a single sound.

The house was so quiet it felt uninhabited; the footsteps of the three people echoed emptily in this vast house.

"My mother is resting on the second floor." Tang Lingwu led the three up the stairs: "She can't sleep at night and has to doze off almost all day."

Upon reaching the second floor, Zheng Fa saw Tang Lingwu's mother.

Before coming, Zheng Fa had felt that Tang Lingwu's mother's condition would not look very good.

After all, according to Tang Lingwu's description, her mother had some hysteria, suffered from insomnia at night, and had a very strong desire for control.

In Zheng Fa's imagination, such a person, though not necessarily disheveled and mad, would at least be mentally exhausted.

But she was not—

Tang Lingwu's mother lay on a sofa that was almost completely flat, covered by a wide, soft bath towel.

On the coffee table, incense sticks rose with wisps of green smoke, filling the room with a fragrant scent.

A pretty girl in her twenties squatted at the end of the sofa, gently massaging her face and scalp.

As if hearing the footsteps of Zheng Fa and the others, Tang Lingwu's mother sat up slightly; the bath towel slipped from her shoulders, revealing the strap dress she was wearing.

Her facial features were eight-tenths similar to Tang Lingwu's, only her figure was a bit more graceful.

At first glance, her condition was even better than Tang Lingwu's the night before—her complexion was clean and ruddy, her posture lazy, and she even looked vigorous.

Not to mention Zheng Fa, even Tang Lingwu looked stunned, staring blankly at her mother.

Tang Lingwu's mother stood up, first extending her hand to Bai Lao, and politely said, "Teacher Bai, you've taken so much trouble for Xiao Wu."

Bai Lao gently shook her hand twice.

She then nodded slightly at Zheng Fa, with no intention of shaking his hand, but spoke rather warmly: "This must be student Zheng, right? My surname is Ye; just call me Sister Ye."

Zheng Fa was stunned, then turned to look at Tang Lingwu beside him: "Sister... Ye?"

"Call her Auntie Ye!" Tang Lingwu, whose generation had just been lowered for no reason, protested, turning to her mother: "Mom, this person is here to treat your illness; is this really necessary?"

"What do you mean by 'this'?" Auntie Ye rolled her eyes slightly and muttered, "I'm meeting guests, so I had someone give me a massage, get a SPA, and adjust my condition; what's wrong with that?"

"..."

Zheng Fa glanced at Bai Lao, feeling that this Auntie Ye was much more lively than he had imagined.

But upon closer inspection, he could also see that Auntie Ye's condition was not as good as it appeared on the surface.

The ruddiness on her face seemed to be makeup; her lazy posture was actually to conceal her sluggishness; and even her right hand trembled slightly from time to time, as if she suffered from nervous weakness.

Auntie Ye said to Bai Lao, "Teacher Bai, you see, I actually don't have any major problems... This child, Xiao Wu, is just making a mountain out of a molehill."

Zheng Fa was stunned, finally understanding Auntie Ye's thoughts.

On one hand, she probably still lacked confidence in herself... Asking him to come was likely just because of Bai Lao's face.

On the other hand, she probably also feared the illness and avoided seeking medical treatment.

"Mom! Didn't you promise me?" Tang Lingwu also saw her mother's flip-flopping and said angrily.

"Look, I'm much better today, aren't I?"

"Every time we go to the hospital, you're unwilling to go, and I have to force you." Tang Lingwu really seemed angry: "This time I invited someone to help you, and you're doing this again?"

"..."

Auntie Ye fell silent.

Zheng Fa looked at Tang Lingwu, then at Auntie Ye.

He felt that between the two mother and daughter, Tang Lingwu seemed to be the one worrying more.

Auntie Ye also seemed to know she was somewhat in the wrong; she sat on the sofa, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke: "It's useless..."

"Mom, you..."

"I've seen all kinds of experts, both domestic and foreign. I've taken medicine as if it were rice, but I haven't seen much improvement—before, I could sleep for two hours at night, but now, once I open my eyes, it's already morning." Auntie Ye said, "Xiao Wu, I know you're worrying about me; for so many years, it's actually you who has been taking care of me."

Bai Lao opened his mouth to speak.

"Teacher Bai, I believe in your good intentions, but I also know you don't have an illness—at least not the kind of illness I have."

"..."

"No need to have your classmate treat me, and no need to force me to go to the hospital." Auntie Ye suddenly said, "I contacted a hospital abroad this morning; the flight is tomorrow, and I can check in the day after tomorrow. You don't have to take the college entrance exam anyway; your father will come to pick you up and take you to the provincial capital."

Auntie Ye seemed to have given up controlling her daughter, but it seemed Tang Lingwu still had to leave here.

"Mom knows she has problems and wants to restrain herself, but being with you, sometimes I can't control myself; I think about this and that, and force you to do this and that." Auntie Ye said softly to Tang Lingwu, "Just remember to come visit me in the future."

Tang Lingwu was stunned for a long time, then suddenly spoke: "Then why are you like this today..."

"I just have to make sure my daughter remembers her mother looking a bit better."

Zheng Fa was somewhat silent.

Probably in Auntie Ye's view—Tang Lingwu believing in him was likely a last resort, treating a dead horse as if it were alive, and even dragging Bai Lao into the act.

She didn't believe in Zheng Fa, nor did she believe in Tang Lingwu, but Tang Lingwu's desperate attempt to find a cure made her feel her daughter's helplessness; in the end, she decided to lock herself up so as not to affect her daughter's life.

"Since you've come today, just have fun at our house." Auntie Ye looked at her daughter, who said nothing, and smiled, speaking up: "I asked the housekeeper to cook a few dishes; let's eat together, and consider it a farewell meal for me."

"Mom, just try it!" Tang Lingwu pleaded in a low voice.

Auntie Ye looked at her daughter, seeming a bit helpless: "Alright, I'll try it. How do I do it?"

There was not a trace of expectation on her face.

After asking the others to leave, only Tang Lingwu and her mother, along with Zheng Fa and Bai Lao Tou, remained on the second floor.

"Auntie Ye, just sit on the sofa and close your eyes... I'll just give you a massage."

Zheng Fa had no intention of spreading the art of cultivation to outsiders.

Tang Lingwu seemed to understand, saying only that Zheng Fa knew some traditional Chinese medicine techniques to treat illnesses by stimulating acupoints on the head.

Auntie Ye nodded, turning her back to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa could see that the muscles from her neck to her back were stiff, as if she were nervous.

Especially when Zheng Fa's hands touched her head, her whole body shuddered.

Clearly, she was quite uncomfortable.

Zheng Fa pretended to press a couple of times; the Spirit-Calming Talisman in his dantian trembled slightly, and the runes of the Spirit-Nourishing Talisman shot from his fingertips into the back of Auntie Ye's head.

The head in his hands grew heavy; looking again, Auntie Ye had already fallen asleep.

The group placed Auntie Ye on the sofa and waited nearby.

Ten or so minutes later, Auntie Ye finally woke up.

Her expression was dazed, as if she couldn't tell what day or year it was, yet a faint smile still lingered on her lips.

"Mom? How are you?"

Auntie Ye looked at the ceiling, then at her daughter.

Tang Lingwu was smiling at her.

Auntie Ye suddenly turned her head, looking at Zheng Fa's hands as if gazing upon some precious treasure.

"Student Zheng... could you massage me again?"

She spoke to Zheng Fa with a craving, like an alcoholic suffering from withdrawal.

"Mom... you've changed too quickly!" Tang Lingwu looked as if she couldn't bear to watch.

When her mother previously refused Zheng Fa's treatment, she had only felt helpless.

Now, it seemed she trusted Zheng Fa too much...

She just felt a bit embarrassed.

"Auntie Ye, this kind of treatment doesn't need to be done too often." Zheng Fa shook his head.

As for this Spirit-Nourishing Talisman thing, nourishing it slowly once a week is enough; doing more has no effect.

Auntie Ye blinked, suddenly stood up, and walked into the room.

When she returned, she held a bank card in her hand and slapped it onto the coffee table with a "pa."

Zheng Fa looked at the bank card on the coffee table.

Then he looked at Tang Lingwu and Auntie Ye.

He could only say that the two of them were truly a mother and daughter, inheriting this same bold manner!

"How much money did Xiao Wu have?" Auntie Ye seemed to understand what Zheng Fa was thinking and said, "It's all just pocket money."

Zheng Fa:... Our definitions of "pocket money" seem quite different.

"It's not a matter of money; one session a week is indeed enough, and doing more is unnecessary." He thought for a moment, then shook his head and refused.

Hearing this, Auntie Ye looked deeply at Zheng Fa and suddenly said, "Then may I invite you to come once every week in the future?"

"Mom? You're not going abroad anymore?" Tang Lingwu asked, surprised.

"I'm not going!" Auntie Ye said with a smile: "That nap just now was the best sleep I've had in ten years—I feel like my brain just had a SPA. I've never felt this good after treatment at any hospital!"

Zheng Fa said nothing, as if thinking.

"Student Zheng, if you feel the money isn't enough, we can discuss it!" Auntie Ye said anxiously.

Seeing Tang Lingwu's face full of nervousness, Zheng Fa nodded gently: "I will come again next week; mainly, Auntie, you need to go for a check-up to see if it really works."

In a sense, Auntie Ye was also one of his test subjects—he still wanted to see first if the Spirit-Nourishing Talisman was truly effective in the modern world.

"Good! Good! I'll go to the hospital for a check-up."

Auntie Ye nodded obediently.

She didn't look at all like the person who refused to go to the hospital as described by Tang Lingwu.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said, "As for the reward, let's wait until Auntie you get the check-up results?"

Auntie Ye, accompanied by Tang Lingwu, saw Zheng Fa and Bai Lao Tou off to the car.

Watching the taillights fade into the distance, Auntie Ye suddenly sighed softly.

Tang Lingwu looked at her mother in confusion.

"In the future, remember to get along well with this Zheng Fa. He also tutors at Teacher Bai's place? Then you should go there more often too—you can skip the lessons, but you must not skip seeing the person." Auntie Ye suddenly spoke.

"Mom?" Tang Lingwu was stunned.

"Do you know why I'm not going abroad?"

"Zheng Fa's massage is amazing."

"Massage..." Auntie Ye glanced softly at her daughter, pouting: "You say massage, so be it. Just remember, doing business and being a person are the same principle—the most important thing is to find the right person. Once you meet the right person, you must spare no cost."

"..."

"Meeting such a person is a tremendous stroke of luck. If I went abroad, you'd have to go to the provincial capital... wouldn't that be a waste?"

Tang Lingwu's eyes widened.

"I don't even know what this Zheng Fa likes. Money? A house?" Auntie Ye muttered, finally looking at her daughter with a somewhat dejected expression, her face actually carrying a hint of disdain for preferring sons over daughters: "What a pity, he doesn't like women."

Tang Lingwu:... Mom, aren't you being a bit too extreme? Just now you believed nothing no matter what was said, and now you believe everything?

Xuanwei Realm, at Shijie Zhang's home.

Zheng Fa was summoned by Zhang Shijie, who told him, "Elder Pang says he no longer wants the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method'."

"Ah?"

"He wants you," Zhang Shijie said, her brows furrowed tightly.

Zheng Fa's expression slowly changed: "... Does Elder Pang have some particular hobby?"