Chapter 13: First Meeting the Lady

In the Quiet Bamboo Courtyard, the Lady leaned weakly against the head of the bed, sipping the medicine that Nurse Wang had just fed her in small mouthfuls.

Outside the door came the not-too-loud, not-too-quiet voices of two maids chatting:

"Did you hear? The Second Young Lady is so domineering and unreasonable; she shows not a shred of respect to her elders!"

"Exactly. I heard the First Lady reminded her to come and pay respects to the Lady, but she not only refused, she even made the First Lady so angry she fell ill."

"I also heard..."

The Lady frowned. Nurse Wang immediately rose and shouted at the two unfamiliar maids outside the door:

"Which courtyard do you belong to? Do you have nothing better to do? Dare to gossip about your masters again, and I will definitely sell you off!"

The Lady fell silent for a long moment, then spoke with deep worry:

"I heard the Second Girl returned to the manor yesterday. I wonder if she is getting used to life here."

Nurse Wang comforted her:

"Rest assured, Lady. The Second Young Lady must have been delayed by some matter; otherwise, she would certainly have come to pay you respects by now."

The Lady nodded slightly. Though she had been bedridden for many years, she was neither deaf nor blind, nor was her sight dim with age. That medicine of Wu's was being applied far too hastily. It seemed the Second Girl's return to the manor would not be peaceful; she feared her own useless body could no longer protect her... The Lady said no more, simply drinking her medicine in silence.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin stood quietly for a moment before the gate of the Quiet Bamboo Courtyard, then stepped forward into the courtyard. She had not sent word ahead, nor asked for a guide; the manor was full of Wu's people, and she did not wish to be stopped halfway.

Following memories that were both familiar and strange, she crossed the silent courtyards. The courtyard, elegantly and simply arranged, was not large; within a short while, she reached the Lady's sleeping quarters.

Jun Jun Zijin stood under the eaves, waiting for a maid to go in and announce her. Soon, Nurse Wang came out smiling:

"Second Young Lady, please come in quickly. The Lady has been missing you terribly."

Jun Jun Zijin glanced around. The room's furnishings were simple, filled with a strong scent of medicine. Perhaps because the Lady had just taken her medicine, a large bed was placed against the south wall. At that moment, the Lady was leaning against the head of the bed, beckoning to her:

"Second Girl, come, let Grandmother have a look."

Jun Jun Zijin raised her eyes to look at the Lady. She saw deep and shallow wrinkles covering the Lady's face, and a head of snow-white silver hair. Yet, despite years of suffering from illness, the natural kindness and warmth radiating from her brows and eyes could not be concealed.

In an instant, Jun Jun Zijin nearly broke down; the Lady looked exactly like her grandmother from her past life.

In her past life, her parents' home was not far from her grandmother's. Her father served in a special forces unit of the army; due to the nature of his duties, they saw each other only a few times a year.

Her mother raised Jun Jun Zijin, who was eight, and her three-year-old younger brother alone. Her mother was weak and bullied by others; it was her grandmother who protected them and raised them.

Yet, just as she had grown up and was about to have the ability to give her grandmother, who had suffered so much for her and her brother, a good life, her grandmother passed away nine years ago. To this day, Jun Jun Zijin's longing for her grandmother has not diminished by a fraction. She never expected to see this face, which she could only see in her dreams, and hear this voice she longed for, in this world.

Truly, it was as if fate had arranged it all. Jun Jun Zijin could not hide the excitement in her heart. Her heart ached; she took a large step forward, then gently rested her head on the Lady's lap and, with a thick nasal tone, softly called out:

"Grandmother..."

The Lady gently patted Jun Jun Zijin's bony back. Seeing her pale, thin face, the Lady's heart was torn apart. The Second Girl should be fourteen this year, yet she was not even a head taller than the Third Girl, who was only ten; this was malnutrition stunting her growth. Looking at her small hands, the backs were rough, and the palms even bore a thin layer of calluses. The Lady could no longer hold back and cursed loudly:

"These damn wretches!" Then she muttered several curses against her son, Xiang Xiang Junzheng, under her breath.

Jun Jun Zijin comforted her, saying:

"Grandmother, your granddaughter is well in every way. Besides, isn't she back now?"

"Yes, yes, she is back, she is back... From now on, with Grandmother here, let anyone dare to bully you!" Tears welled in the Lady's eyes as she spoke with aching heart.

A warm current flowed through Jun Jun Zijin's heart once more as she said:

"Grandmother, over these years, has your illness improved?" In the original owner's memories, after the Lady broke her leg, it was originally just a matter of difficulty in movement, but for some unknown reason it grew worse and worse, eventually developing into complete immobility.

"Grandmother is fine." The Lady comforted her with a smile.

Nurse Wang sighed: "The Lady caught the root of her illness when she was young. A few years ago, she fell and injured her head; the headaches come and go. In recent years, they seem to occur more frequently..."

When the Lady was young, her husband was often away on campaign. She became a widow at a young age; as a lone widow with orphans, she must have suffered greatly.

After asking for permission, Jun Jun Zijin examined the Lady's leg. There was no rebound in the knee, and pressing it elicited no sensation. Fortunately, the muscles were not atrophied. According to the rules, the Lady's illness could be treated, but... it seemed there was more to it than met the eye?

Jun Jun Zijin thought of something and took the Lady's pulse. As expected! Jun Jun Zijin's heart tightened. Now that she thought about it, that fall was probably not an accident either. In the original owner's memories, the Lady fell because she stepped on a few moss-covered pebbles. How could there be moss in a courtyard swept daily?

Jun Jun Zijin decided not to raise the matter yet and said:

"Grandmother, please rest assured. Your granddaughter's medical skills have improved during these years at the manor. I can try to treat your illness."

Hearing this, Nurse Wang said with a smile:

"Lady, listen. Our Second Young Lady these days is truly remarkable."

The Lady's face was full of smiles; hearing this, she was naturally pleased. Although she did not take the child's words too seriously—after all, many famous physicians in Jingcheng could not cure her illness, and though the Second Girl had studied medicine with her mother for some time, she was still just a child.

The child was merely comforting her. But if the Second Girl wanted to try, she was naturally willing. The Lady nodded with a smile: "Good, I shall wait for my Second Girl to work miracles! Hehehehe..."

After chatting about daily matters for a while, Jun Jun Zijin saw the Lady looked tired. She led the nurse and maid assigned to serve the Lady to rise and take their leave, then walked toward her own small courtyard. Just as she was about to pass a rockery, she saw someone approaching from the opposite direction.