Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 180 - 92 Fighting Techniques_1

Chapter 180: Chapter 92 Fighting Techniques_1
Second update, twisting for a plea for support.
****
Everyone was talking in the West Wing Room when they heard Lian Xiuxiu running into the courtyard, calling out loudly.
"Where is everyone? Where have all the people gone?" Lian Xiuxiu had first rushed to the East Wing Room. Today was market day in Qingyang Town, and both Lian Shouyi and Lady He had gone to the market. A few of the younger men from the second branch of the family were not the kind to stay at home and had also run off to who knows where. Only Lian Yaya, because of her bound feet, was sitting alone on the kang bed.
"Auntie, what’s the matter?" Lian Yaya asked when she saw Lian Xiuxiu arrive.
"You’re no use." Seeing that Lian Yaya was the only one present, Lian Xiuxiu hurried back out again. "Fourth Brother, Third Brother, hurry up and come here, Mother, Mother has fainted."
Lian Xiuxiu was calling out from outside.
Lady Zhou had fainted?
Both Lian Shouli and Lian Shouxin immediately stood up, and both Lady Zhao and Lady Zhang also attempted to rise.
"Wait a minute." Lian Manman hurriedly said.
Lady Zhou would often "faint," "pass out," or "lose consciousness" at just the right moment, at which times, regardless of the situation or who was right or wrong, to ensure Lady Zhou could come back to life, everyone had to obey her. This time Lady Zhou had fainted presumably because she thought Lady Zhao had hung herself and was scared into fainting, or was it to achieve some other goal, like garnering sympathy or evading punishment? Perhaps it was a combination of both.
One was a mother-in-law, the other a daughter-in-law; after being scolded by the mother-in-law, the daughter-in-law tried to hang herself, but now the mother-in-law suddenly fell ill too. Lian Manman did not know how others would react, but in their household, Lian Shouli was famously filial and honest, never daring to say a word of refusal in front of Lady Zhou, and Lian Yeye was merely a child. Then who would seriously pursue Lady Zhou’s responsibility?
"Auntie, did she really faint?" asked Lian Manman.
"This is your grandmother’s chronic ailment," Lady Zhang simply remarked.
Lian Shouxin immediately turned to give Lady Zhang a look. Everyone knew of Lady Zhou’s temperament. But Lady Zhou was, after all, his own mother, and though what Lady Zhang said was the truth, and her tone was perfectly normal, Lian Shouxin couldn’t help but suspect sarcasm in her words.
"Look at what? Am I wrong?" asked Lady Zhang.
"Right," Lian Shouxin immediately responded.
Lian Xiuxiu called out again from outside, and footsteps approached the West Wing Room.
"Father, Mother, let’s go see how Grandmother is doing, see if she really did faint or not," Lian Manman thought for a moment before saying, "Uncle and Auntie, please stay in the room for now."
If Lady Zhou was faking her illness and Lian Shouli went to the Upper Room now, she would surely catch him out on his inconsistencies. If Lady Zhao couldn’t control herself and followed along, then her supposed hanging would have been a wasted effort.
Lian Manman then recalled what Lady Zhang had said, "Your grandmother is no ordinary person."
"Third Brother, let’s do as suggested. If something truly is wrong with Mother, I’ll come back to call you," Lian Shouxin then told Lian Shouli.
"Fine," Lian Shouli nodded. They were all looking out for their interests; they were not fools, of course, they understood.
Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin hurriedly left the West Wing Room.
"Xiuxiu, what happened to Mother? Let’s hurry and go see," Lian Shouxin said as he walked out the door, meeting Lian Xiuxiu.
Lian Xiuxiu, seeing only Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin but not Lady Zhao and Lian Shouli, asked, "Where are Third Brother and his wife?"
"Your Third Aunt, didn’t you just see her?" said Lian Shouxin.
"Third Aunt, is it really—" Lian Xiuxiu stuttered.
"Let’s go see Mother first," Lian Shouxin said, leading the way to the Upper Room.
Lady Zhang followed behind Lian Shouxin, and as he moved off, only she and Lian Xiuxiu were left face to face. During her confinement, Lian Xiuxiu hadn’t visited Lady Zhang even once. This was the first time the two had come face to face alone since that incident had occurred.
Lian Xiuxiu kept her lips tightly sealed, avoiding Lady Zhang’s gaze. Lady Zhang opened her mouth but didn’t manage to say a word.
Lian Xiuxiu twisted her body and was the first to walk ahead.
In the West Wing Room, Lian Manman did not immediately follow Lady Zhang to the Upper Room.
"Yeye, do you know where our father went to make calls?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"He must have gone to Auntie’s house," Lian Yeye replied.
"Yeye, let me tell you, you have to bring our father back," Lian Manman pulled Lian Yeye aside and whispered, "You know what to tell our father, right?"
Lian Yeye thought for a moment, "I’ll tell him that grandma scolded my mom and wanted to divorce her, and then my mom, umm, attempted to hang herself, and then..."
"And then she was saved by my mom," Lian Manman said.
Since Lady Zhou resorted to pretending to be ill, they would bring out Old Master Lian, the only person who could restrain Lady Zhou.
"Don’t say that grandma fainted," Lian Manman also instructed Lian Yeye. Without mentioning whether Lady Zhou was really ill or not, she wanted Lian Yeye to quickly find Old Master Lian, primarily to let Old Master Lian first hear Lian Yeye’s "side of the story."
"Yeye, it all depends on you now. If you do well this time, life will be much better for the three of you in the future," Lian Manman said.
"Mhm," Lian Yeye nodded heavily.
"I’ll have Si Lang accompany you," Lian Manman thought of having Si Lang accompany Lian Yeye out.
"No, I can do it by myself," Lian Yeye shook her head. Being the only daughter of her parents, she needed to become strong, even stronger than a son. How could she need company just to go out?
"Alright then," seeing how stubborn Lian Yeye was, Lian Manman didn’t press further. The local customs here were quite simple, and it was broad daylight; they were all in the same village, so there shouldn’t be any danger.
Watching Lian Yeye leave the house, Lian Manman then made her way to the Upper Room.
In the Upper Room, Lady Zhou was lying on the kang bed, her eyes tightly shut, seemingly unconscious. Lian Xiuxiu sat beside Lady Zhou, holding her hand and staring blankly without a word. Lian Shouxin and Ladies Zhang, Gu, along with Lady Chiang, all stood by the bed, calling out ceaselessly, but Lady Zhou showed no response.
Was this illness real this time?
Everyone seemed at a loss for what to do.
"Mother has been unconscious for so long, I’d better hurry and call the doctor," Lian Shouxin suggested.
"Why hasn’t Third Brother come yet? Isn’t he Mother’s son too?" Lian Xiuxiu said.
Earlier, Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu had discussed the matter. Lian Xiuxiu believed Lady Zhao had indeed hanged herself and died, but Lady Zhou was skeptical, thinking instead that Lady Zhao hadn’t died, yet she still believed Lady Zhao had indeed sought death.
This situation was problematic, so Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu decided to use an old trick. As long as they could deceive Lian Shouli into coming to the Upper Room, or even better, if Lady Zhao followed, the issue would be resolved. Besides, Zhou would regain the upper hand.
"Father, have you tried to pinch her philtrum? The doctor said this technique works on people who have fainted," Lian Manman ignored Lian Xiuxiu and spoke to Lian Shouxin. Before Lian Yeye returned with Old Master Lian, she had to "revive" Lady Zhou first.
"Pinch the philtrum?"
"I’ve tried it, it’s no use," Lian Xiuxiu quickly added. Pinching the philtrum would hurt a lot.
It seemed the illness must be fake, given Lian Xiuxiu’s eagerness. Lian Manman’s eyes caught a glimpse of the Needle and Thread Basket on the kang bed, and an idea struck her. She reached into the basket and took out the largest needle used for sewing shoe soles.
"If pinching the philtrum doesn’t work, piercing the center of the foot with a needle will definitely do the trick!"
******
The second update has been delivered early, and the third update will be at 400 votes.
Ruoyan urgently needs your pink votes; please support her and help Ruoyan stay on the pink list.
Ruoyan is off to dinner now but will continue writing afterward. She hopes to see more pink votes when she returns, to motivate her to write even more. (To be continued. If you like this work, please cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)