The Abandoned Daughter's Second Chance

Chapter 108: Chapter 99: Sensing the Light

In the evening, after Xiao Man finished all her homework, she sat in the main hall reading, insisting on waiting with Grandma for Grandpa to come home.

Grandma couldn’t dissuade her, so she let her be. The two of them sat under the electric lamp; one held a book while the other twisted thin hemp rope. The rope was for Second Granny Qiu, though they didn’t know what it was for.

As Grandma twisted the rope, she would look up from time to time. Xiao Man noticed that Grandma was always looking toward the electric lamp and couldn’t help but ask, "Grandma, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing, really. I just feel like there’s something over there," Grandma answered.

Xiao Man’s heart skipped a beat. "Grandma, there really is something there. Can you make it out? What does it look like?"

Grandma laughed. "You silly child, how could Grandma see anything? I just feel that spot seems... a bit brighter!"

Xiao Man clapped her hands. "Oh, my goodness, Grandma! That’s where the lamp is, of course it’s brighter! Grandma, you can sense the light!"

"Could it be? I... I just felt it was different over there." Grandma’s eyes widened in disbelief as she continued to stare toward the lamp. "It really does seem... a little bright!"

"Not just a little bright, it’s really bright! Grandma, look somewhere else! Quick, compare it!"

Xiao Man bounded over to Grandma in two steps, speaking excitedly and gesturing. If it weren’t Grandma’s head, she might have reached out to help turn it back and forth.

Grandma looked back and forth, and she still felt a brightness in that spot. Xiao Man then helped Grandma into the side rooms and the kitchen, pulling the cords to turn on the lights. Watching Grandma’s eyes turn accurately toward each lamp’s location, she smiled with delight.

The thrilling moment was finally about to arrive!

"Grandma, wasn’t I right? All that wolfberry soup, loofah flower soup, and lotus leaf soup is working! And—let me tell you a secret, but don’t tell Grandpa, I’m afraid he’ll scold me—I’ve been adding some other herbs to the soups. They aren’t poisonous; they’re just really good for your eyes! We’re out of loofah flowers now, but luckily I picked a lotus leaf and have it drying under the eaves. The dried leaf can be used for soup, too. We also have chrysanthemum and honeysuckle. It’s good to boil them for tea or for an eyewash. If we keep this up, we’ll definitely succeed! Don’t you think so, Grandma?"

"Yes, yes! I’ll listen to whatever my Xiao Man says!" Grandma was also overjoyed. She had suddenly sensed that faint halo of light tonight. She was certain that ever since she went blind, her world had been nothing but heavy darkness. She had never felt anything like this before!

Having hope was always something worth celebrating.

Around eleven o’clock, there was a knock on the courtyard gate, followed by Grandpa’s voice calling out.

Xiao Man hurried to open the gate. Grandpa was standing at the entrance with a cloth sack on his back; he had already returned the ox-cart.

Grandma came out to greet him. Xiao Man grabbed a basin and went to the kitchen to ladle some hot water for Grandpa to wash his face, then brought him a bowl of boiled water to drink. Grandpa wasn’t smiling cheerfully like he usually did. The look on his face was rather grim, so she couldn’t help but ask, "Grandpa, did something happen?"

Grandpa sighed. "Xiao Man," he said, "I only found out when I went to Wancheng today. Mr. Sun... has passed away."

Xiao Man froze. "So... suddenly."

Grandpa shook his head. "It wasn’t that sudden. Mr. Sun was paralyzed by illness for many years, and there were several times we heard bad news. A week ago, he truly passed."

He looked at Xiao Man and said, "Sister-in-law Sun said that Mr. Sun left instructions that you don’t need to come personally to offer incense before his memorial. When you have a chance in the future, you can just pay your respects at his grave."

Xiao Man’s feelings were complicated for a moment, and she could only nod.

Grandma sighed. "Mr. Sun spent his whole life healing the sick and saving lives. He even provided formulas to prevent epidemics in the past and never let anyone reveal his real name. He was a good man. He lived a long life, didn’t he? He must have been over ninety."

"He told me he was ninety-seven," Xiao Man said.

"Sigh, these are just hard times. If things were more peaceful, a famous doctor like him could have lived past one hundred!"

Grandpa sighed and said, "With Mr. Sun gone, the Sun Family has been thrown into chaos. The various masters all want to be in charge, but none of them will submit to the others. Sigh! Even with my herbs today, I was pulled back and forth by them. The brothers were outbidding each other, fighting over them. I just... I’ll be too embarrassed to go back in the future! It was so much better when Mr. Sun was alive. Everything was done as it should be, properly and in order."

"So who did you sell the herbs to today, Grandpa?" Xiao Man asked.

"I gave them to the third branch. Third Master Sun’s eldest son pulled Sister-in-law Sun over, so I sold them to him."

"Was the price fair?"

"The price was even higher than usual. I said I didn’t want so much, but he insisted, saying I should deliver to him from now on."

"Grandpa, what about the two stalks of reishi grass?"

"Ah, the Purple Ganoderma. Third Master Sun and his son were ecstatic when they saw the Purple Ganoderma. They said they would immediately send someone to deliver it out of town and gave me a thousand yuan on the spot!"

"A thousand just for the Purple Ganoderma? Wow!" Xiao Man exclaimed.

Grandpa looked at her with a wry smile. "This stuff can save lives. If this were back in the day... the price would have been even higher! But in this day and age, a price like this is the absolute maximum you could hope for."

Wancheng was very far away. Xiao Man couldn’t feel a connection to its people and their lives. She could only observe a moment of silence for Mr. Sun in her heart and say, ’Rest well, old gentleman.’

At noon the next day, when Xiao Man came home from school and was eating with Grandpa and Grandma at the table, she suggested that the whole family go to the market together on Sunday.

"I only have one lined jacket, and wearing my summer clothes over a sweater looks strange. We need to buy some thick fabric to make new jackets. Grandpa and Grandma need new ones too!"

Grandma smiled and nodded. Grandpa said, "Alright, let’s go then. It’s about time to get some winter clothes, and we should buy a new pair of shoes for your Grandma, too."

Thinking of sweaters, Xiao Man asked, "Grandpa, do you have any yarn coupons?"

"What? Yarn coupons? Never seen ’em! I gave our family’s few cloth coupons to your Grandma, and you two used them all up last time. Hmm, let me go ask your Fifth Great-Uncle and Fifth Auntie if they have any. We can borrow some and pay them back when we get some of our own."

"Oh, then remember to ask if they have yarn coupons, too. Someone in their family works in the city, so I think they should have some."

"What do you need yarn coupons for?"

"I have a use for them!"

"Alright, Grandpa will go and ask."

Grandpa finished his meal first, put down his bowl, and left. Grandma asked, "Xiao Man, you already have two sweaters. What do you need more yarn for?"

"I want to knit sweaters for you and Grandpa."

"You know how to knit?"

"I don’t know how yet, but I’ll learn. Besides, I’ve already asked someone for help. It’s Sister Liu Ping from the supply and marketing cooperative. She’s willing to help me knit a soft, thick, and warm sweater for each of you!"

As Xiao Man spoke, she snuggled up against Grandma, nearly knocking the chopsticks from her hand. Grandma’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "You mischievous child!"

But it was as if she were already wearing that soft, thick sweater, feeling warm all the way to her heart.