Chapter 373 - 327: What Virtue, What Ability?
Chapter 373: Chapter 327: What Virtue, What Ability?
She peeked at the two people at the head of the table, her gaze hiding a trace of jealousy and resentment. ’They don’t even look like a married couple, so what right do they have to get along so well! We’re the same age, yet Wu Yu Xuan and I have heads full of white hair and faces etched by the trials of time. But those two have jet-black hair and rosy, radiant complexions, looking as if they’re only forty years old! Especially Fang Qinglan. Her skin is firm, delicate, and smooth. Over ten years ago, I clearly saw crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Now, not only have the fine lines vanished, but the corners of her eyes, which had started to droop, are slightly lifted again. Her elegant eyebrows are unchanged, her clear eyes bright. She faintly resembles the spoiled, arrogant, and domineering Fang Qinglan of the past!’
Lin Aizhen suppressed the dull ache in her chest, trying her best to even out her breathing. She knew that if she were to "suddenly have an attack" right now, Tang Renqian and Fang Qinglan wouldn’t just ignore it. They might send for Manman to come back, and then she could get Manman to diagnose her and write a prescription, saving her from this bout of pain. ’But what about after? If I really act recklessly this time and treat the Tang family like a hospital clinic, then next time, even Hao Hao probably won’t be able to help the Wu Family get into the Tang Mansion again. And I can forget about getting any of Manman’s miraculous formulas and remedies!’
’This was absolutely not her ultimate goal!’
’We’re both Manman’s grandmothers. Fang Qinglan gets to enjoy so many benefits, nourished and cared for until she looks like some ageless old demon. Why can’t I?’
Lin Aizhen had always believed her own looks and disposition were several times better than Fang Qinglan’s. ’If Manman also carefully treated me until I reached Fang Qinglan’s state, the university wouldn’t have made me retire. With my passion for my work, a creative drive that was no less than that of the young people, and all my invaluable experience, I could have kept teaching for at least another twenty or thirty years!’
Lin Aizhen took a deep breath. ’I must not be hasty. I have to take it slow. To get something, you have to give something. Right now, I don’t have to give anything up; I just need to be a little more strategic!’
’First, I can’t appear impatient or restless. We’re all cultured people. If I’m modest and speak politely, no one will be rude.’ Lin Aizhen plastered a smile on her face and said to Fang Qinglan, "Sister Qing Lan..."
Fang Qinglan glanced at her coolly. "I’m a grandmother now. I’m afraid I can’t accept such a title."
Lin Aizhen: "..."
’What does being a grandmother have to do with me calling her ’sister’? Don’t tell me that makes her older than I am?’
Still, she had no choice but to change her form of address. "To be honest with you, my dear in-law, I really can’t bear it this time. I’ve been in the hospital for days. This tightness in my chest is just unbearable! My husband had this same problem before, but after taking a few prescriptions from Manman, he was completely cured! Look at him—even his chronic cough is gone! So I was thinking I’d come over and have Manman check my pulse and prescribe a couple of remedies for me to take."
Fang Qinglan said, "You make it sound so simple. Check your pulse and write a prescription? Do you think that doesn’t consume Essence, Qi, and Spirit? That it doesn’t come with responsibility? Those ten prescriptions from two years ago weren’t something Manman did on her own. She was referencing the famous thousand gold recipe and had to ask her seniors for guidance and corrections. Now that she’s in Beijing attending medical school, she’s under the guidance of her professors. With her teachers not around, how could a student like her dare to casually write prescriptions? People who study medicine cannot be careless. If her professors found out, she would be criticized! Since you’re already in the hospital, you should be resting and following your doctor’s orders. There’s no need to be running around and putting Manman in a difficult position. It’s a good thing she’s not home!"
"Oh, she doesn’t need to take any responsibility! Our Manman may be a student, but she has studied under a famous doctor. It’s just family treating family. You can think of it as an internship. Whatever the outcome, it won’t be a problem."
"That’s still not acceptable. I can’t let my granddaughter take that risk!" Fang Qinglan didn’t care about the displeasure on the faces of the Wu Family members; she resolutely refused to let Xiao Man check Lin Aizhen’s pulse.
Last night, when Hao Hao came back and relayed Lin Aizhen’s and Wu Xiaowen’s request, she had been furious. ’Just what kind of people are the Wu Family? Their shamelessness knows no bounds. First, they conspired to hide the truth about the children being switched at birth, wanting nothing more than to lock up the "disfigured" Xiao Man and hide her away from the world. Now, the moment they have a minor ache or pain, they immediately think of having Xiao Man diagnose them and prescribe medicine. It’s as if nothing ever happened. They hurt a child and expect to get away with it scot-free. Who do they take for a fool?’
As it happened, Pang Xiaoji and a few other girls had come looking for Xiao Man this morning. Fang Qinglan deliberately told Xiao Man to go out shopping for clothes with Pang Xiaoji and her friends to avoid the Wu Family. Putting aside the fact that her granddaughter was still young and needed to be discreet about her medical skills, even if she didn’t care about that, Fang Qinglan would rather let her treat strangers than give Wu Yu Xuan and Lin Aizhen the benefit of her help!