Chapter 278: Chapter 260, Gift_1
With Gu Jian’s help, Granny Gu slowly lay back on the bed, but her eyes were fixed intently on Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang felt uncomfortable being stared at and shifted his gaze towards Daohua, his eyes questioning, “What exactly is going on?”
Daohua shrugged her shoulders and shook her head to indicate that she didn’t know either.
Just as Daohua thought Granny Gu was about to say something, unexpectedly, Granny Gu closed her eyes and turned her back to them, as though she no longer wanted to see them.
At this moment, Gu Jian spoke up, “My sister needs to rest now. You should leave,” his tone unmistakably brusque and unapologetic.
In response, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged a puzzled look.
Daohua glanced at Granny Gu on the bed, thought for a moment, and then said, “Granny Gu, you rest well. We’ll be going now.”
Granny Gu did not respond, while Gu Jian began to wave them off, clearly impatient.
Daohua, speechless, and Xiao Yeyang quickly left the room.
No sooner had the two stepped out of the room than the door was shut with a ‘bang’.
Xiao Yeyang stared at the firmly closed door, clearly stunned. It was his first time being so unceremoniously dismissed! After a while, he said discontentedly, “What kind of attitude is that?”
Daohua was equally at a loss for words: “Weird monks are like that, very peculiar by nature. They can’t even bother to glance at people they dislike.”
Xiao Yeyang looked over disapprovingly, “Are you saying that weird monk really dislikes me?” Otherwise, why would he have hurried him away as soon as he arrived?
Daohua tapped her chin, eyeing Xiao Yeyang, then suddenly said, “They might know your father. Maybe they even hold a grudge against him.”
Xiao Yeyang laughed it off, responding straightforwardly, “Impossible! No matter how my father was… he simply couldn’t oppress two elders even older than your grandmother.”
Daohua nodded but still appeared puzzled, “But when they heard me mention Prince Ping, they were quite agitated, and Granny Gu also seemed to lose her composure when she saw you. How do you explain that?”
Xiao Yeyang was at a loss for words: “How would I know? Didn’t you say they were weird people? Isn’t it normal for weird people to behave strangely?”
Daohua shook her head, continuing to ponder: “I think that they either have a grudge or a debt of gratitude towards your family…”
Xiao Yeyang cut her off, “Then it must be a debt of gratitude. Judging by their appearance, they must have suffered greatly in the past. Perhaps my father saved them.”
Daohua nodded, “Maybe it’s true. If they really had a grudge, Granny Gu’s attitude towards you wouldn’t have been like that.”
Xiao Yeyang: “Alright, let’s drop this topic. I have nothing to do today, so I’ll accompany you to distribute porridge.”
“Great, Yuanyao and I were just worrying about being short-handed…”
Inside the room, not until the figures of Xiao Yeyang and Daohua were out of sight did Gu Jian leave the window and sit down by the bed.
Granny Gu opened her eyes, her gaze lifeless as she looked at the canopy, “Have they left?”
Gu Jian nodded, “They have.”
After a moment of silence, a faint smile appeared on Granny Gu’s face, “Heaven’s been kind to me after all. Before dying, I got to see the son of Prince Ping.”
A flash of resentment crossed Gu Jian’s eyes, “Sister…”
Granny Gu raised her thin hand to cut off Gu Jian’s words, “In a while, when my health is a bit better, we should leave. Since we made our choice back then, we shouldn’t disturb them anymore.”
Gu Jian lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly. After a while, he said helplessly, “Alright. That girl brought some rice and flour; I’ll go make something for you to eat.” With that, he stood up and left.
Watching her brother’s retreating figure, Granny Gu lay in bed and took a deep breath, caressing her burnt cheek and shedding a tear.
This was all her fate!
…
Although Granny Gu and the strange monk’s behavior were somewhat puzzling, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang didn’t take it to heart, as neither of them felt any malice.
In the following period, one was busy distributing porridge while the other was occupied with tasks for Governor Guo, and they soon cast the matter to the back of their minds.
Once the disaster situation in Xingyun Prefecture had alleviated and porridge distribution at the city gates ceased, Daohua finally remembered the two people.
“I wonder if Granny Gu’s illness has improved? After I’ve packed up the porridge distribution utensils later, I’ll take a detour to check on them.”
Xiao Yeyang, who was helping nearby, heard this and after some thought, said, “I’ll go with you.”
Daohua turned to look at him, “Why would you go?”
Xiao Yeyang paused for a moment, “The old lady looked quite pitiable. Why not go and see her?” He felt somewhat uncomfortable remembering the sorrow in her eyes when she had looked at him.
Daohua was indifferent and nimbly packed up everything. After informing Dong Yuanyao, she took Wang Manman and Xiao Yeyang to the pharmacy.
Upon their arrival at the pharmacy, they were informed by the shopkeeper that Granny Gu and the strange monk had left several days ago.
Daohua showed surprise, “Why did they leave? Could Granny Gu get out of bed already?” Although unaware of the specifics of Granny Gu’s health, she could see that Granny Gu was very weak and wouldn’t recover without resting for a month or two.
The shopkeeper shook his head, “Master Gu rented an ox cart and took Granny Gu away.”
Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brow, “They left in such a hurry, was there something wrong?”
The shopkeeper didn’t know and said with a smile, “You don’t have to worry. I think Master Gu is a very capable person. He has been a great help in the pharmacy these days, treating quite a few patients.”
“Although Granny Gu’s condition isn’t fully cured, she has improved a lot. She can’t walk around for long at a time, but occasional movement is no problem.”
“Oh right, before Master Gu left, he left two things, asking me to pass them on to you.”
Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged glances, then both curiously watched the shopkeeper retrieve the items.
Soon, the shopkeeper returned with two items tightly wrapped in sheepskin, “The one tied with a red string is for Miss Yan, and the one with a blue string is for the Little Prince.”
Daohua took hers, shook it, “Is this a book?”
Without immediately opening them, they bid farewell to the shopkeeper and then boarded the carriage.
Once in the carriage, Daohua quickly unwrapped the sheepskin and indeed found a book: “This is a Medical Book!”
Daohua flipped through it quickly, her eyes shining.
Inside the book were recorded numerous medical prescriptions, even the making of poisons was included.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Yeyang smiled, “It’s just a Medical Book. Is it worth your excitement?”
Daohua replied, “What do you know? The monk’s medical skills were very advanced. If I can learn a thing or two, it would be useful for a lifetime.” Of course, what made her happiest was not the Medical Book itself, but that in the future, when she’d use any prescriptions, she’d have an excuse for the source.
“Hurry and see what yours is!”
Xiao Yeyang nodded, rapidly unwrapped his sheepskin, and then his face became excited.
His was a Martial Arts Manual, and it was an upper level martial arts manual at that.
Daohua looked at her own Medical Book and then at the Martial Arts Manual in Xiao Yeyang’s hands, “Granny Gu and the strange monk truly were not ordinary people.”
She paused, then curiously added.
“It’s understandable that the monk left me the Medical Book, since I am their life-saving benefactor, but to give you, someone he’s only met two or three times, a Martial Arts Manual, what’s the meaning of this?”
Xiao Yeyang was also stunned, and finally said, “Perhaps, my father really had shown kindness to them.”
Daohua fell silent for a moment and then nodded, “Well, it’s certainly not due to enmity.”