Chapter 181: 93rd Chapter: A Clever Plan_1
Third watch, seeking support.
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After Lian Manman had finished speaking about the efficacy of pricking the sole with a needle, her gaze remained fixed on Lady Zhou. It was indeed rare to see Lady Zhou managing not to move an inch. Lian Manman chuckled to herself; although Lady Zhou’s body didn’t move, her eyes still twitched beneath her eyelids. In fact, Lian Manman had always thought that feigning unconsciousness or pretending to be asleep was quite a tricky task. Even if you can control every muscle in your body to stay still, it’s really hard for most people to keep their eyes motionless. As soon as your thoughts waver even slightly, it’s difficult to prevent your pupils from moving.
With the needle in hand, Lian Manman aimed for the sole of Lady Zhou’s foot.
"Manman, what are you doing?" Lian Xiuxiu couldn’t just watch Lian Manman prick Lady Zhou with a needle and intervened in a hurry, "Who did you hear say that pricking the sole has any use? Do you want to harm your grandmother? Fourth Brother, aren’t you going to stop her?"
"Manman..." Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang said in unison.
"Dad, Mom, Aunt, this isn’t something I heard from just anybody; it was Imperial Doctor Shi who said it." Lian Manman waved the needle about, its tip gleaming brightly, "Remember the time we called Imperial Doctor Shi to visit? I shared a carriage ride with him. I thought about grandmother’s lingering illness, which never seems to improve, and wondered if he might have a cure. So I mentioned it to Imperial Doctor Shi."
"Mom, I’m filial to my grandmother, aren’t I?" Lian Manman asked, turning to Lady Zhang.
"My Manman is a dutiful child," Lady Zhang immediately replied.
From the corner of her eye, Lian Manman noticed Lady Zhou’s lips twitching slightly, clearly agitated by the conversation.
"Then, Imperial Doctor Shi told me this method, claiming it to be more effective than any miracle pill," Lian Manman continued, feigning hesitation, "But this method might be a bit painful."
"Yes, Manman, pricking with a needle must hurt a lot. Let’s not use this method," Lian Xiuxiu hurriedly suggested.
"It’s definitely painful to prick Aunt’s sole if she’s awake. But grandmother is unconscious right now; she won’t feel the pain," replied Lian Manman.
Lian Xiuxiu was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Dad, help me hold her steady. I’m going to give grandmother the acupuncture," Lian Manman called Lian Shouxin over.
"You can’t do this, you shouldn’t do this." Before Lian Shouxin could act, Lian Xiuxiu, waving her hands, shielded Lady Zhou, driving them away. "What are you trying to do, kill my mother?"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, won’t you say something?" Lian Xiuxiu turned to Lady Gu.
Lady Gu had seemed to age a decade in just a few days and had become much more reticent. She was well aware of Lady Zhou’s temperament and seeing Lian Manman’s approach, knew she was intent on dealing with Lady Zhou. Lady Gu was content to watch from the sidelines. But now that Lian Xiuxiu had called her out, she couldn’t remain silent any longer.
"Well, Manman, Imperial Doctor Shi’s method may be good, but you’re not a doctor. If you were to do the acupuncture, it might not be appropriate," Lady Gu stated.
"Aunt, you make a good point, I had thought of that too. So, I asked Imperial Doctor Shi if we needed to get a doctor to administer the needle for grandmother. Imperial Doctor Shi said it wasn’t necessary, just to prick the sole a few times, mentioning something about ’not departing from the meridian points despite leaving the acupoint’," Lian Manman explained.
"Imperial Doctor Shi speaks of profound things I do not understand," Lady Gu admitted, seemingly unable to refute Lian Manman any further.
Lady Gu calculated very clearly in her mind. After voicing her concern, she could be seen as having supported Lady Zhou. If Lady Zhou were to hold a grudge in the future, she would have an excuse at hand.
Lian Xiuxiu’s face flushed with urgency. Lady Gu was unreliable, and Lady Chiang surely wouldn’t speak up. The rest in the room were from the Fourth Household, surely sharing a common goal.
"I dare you all to try!" Lian Xiuxiu exclaimed.
"Aunt, we can’t listen to you on this. Grandmother is sick; she needs treatment," Lian Manman retorted. She estimated that Lian Yeye would be returning soon, so she needed to act quickly. "Dad, Mom, come and help, this is to treat Grandmother. When she wakes up, she’ll be grateful to us."
Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang then shifted closer to Lian Manman. Lately, their daughter always seemed to have some cunning ideas, and they had been very effective.
Lian Manman secretly winked at the two of them, "I won’t really prick her, I just want to scare her."
Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang didn’t hesitate any longer and stepped forward to hold Lady Zhou down.
"Ah, this is the spot, Imperial Doctor Shi said the skin here is thinnest and the flesh, most tender," Lian Manman said as she raised the needle towards Lady Zhou’s sole. "Dad, Mom, make sure you hold her down, I’m going to prick. If Granny wakes up, I’m afraid she’ll kick me."
Lian Manman reminded Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang.
Lady Zhang instinctively applied more force with her hands, thinking if Lady Zhou tried to kick and hit Lian Manman in the face, it would be terrible. She couldn’t let her daughter get hurt.
Lady Zhou was lying there, and the reason she had refused to open her eyes was that she believed Lian Manman wouldn’t dare to really use the needle on her. Even if Lian Manman wished to do it, Lian Shouxin definitely wouldn’t agree. And there was also Lady Zhang, who wouldn’t consent. When she felt Lady Zhang’s hands really applying force on her body, panic instantly gripped her heart.
Even if her own son wouldn’t let Lian Manman prick her, why wouldn’t Lady Zhang prevent it? It was because of her and Lian Xiuxiu, Lady Zhang had just lost a child, and nearly lost her life.
Before Lian Manman’s needle could fall, Lady Zhou let out a piercing yowl, flailing her hands and legs as she sat up from the kang. Lady Zhang, fearing this would happen, had already secured her legs in place, and Lian Manman, well-prepared, dodged to the side.
"Granny is awake!" Lian Manman clapped her hands and laughed.
"What in the world are you trying to do, you want to kill me, Old Fourth, do you want your mother dead?" Lady Zhou sat there, showing none of the embarrassment of having her feigned illness exposed, but instead immediately began to throw a tantrum.
"Granny, we never intended to prick you with the needle," Lian Manman said. "Actually, the method taught to me by Imperial Doctor Shi, I haven’t explained fully."
Seeing everyone’s eyes focused on her, Lian Manman deliberately paused.
"Imperial Doctor Shi also said," she continued loudly, "the cleverness of this method is that the needle does not need to be actually pricked into the patient’s sole, just this scare, and the patient will surely wake."
Clearly, she was stating that Lady Zhou was faking it.
Lady Gu almost burst out laughing, hastily bowing her head to hide it, while Lady Chiang had ducked her head even earlier.
"It’s all thanks to me that Granny woke up," Lian Manman declared as she placed the needle back into the basket.
Lian Xiuxiu stood dumbfounded, Lady Zhou feeling both embarrassed and infuriated, unable to utter a word at Lian Manman.
"Granny is awake and has the energy to scold, I’d better hurry and leave." Lian Manman said with a smile as she twisted to leave. Just as she was lifting the door curtain, she saw Old Master Lian and Lian Yeye returning.
"The Old Master is back," Lian Manman hastily helped Old Master Lian with the door curtain.
Lady Zhou, sitting on the kang and hearing that Old Master Lian had returned, immediately lost the desire to scold anyone. She hadn’t yet settled the matter with Lady Zhao, and with Old Master Lian coming back now, she had no explanation. Her face turned completely dark as soon as she saw Lian Yeye following behind Old Master Lian.
Old Master Lian’s face was also very grim.
"Is it you who said to divorce Old Three’s wife?" Old Master Lian asked in a severe tone.
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Here comes the third update, the fourth will be at 410 votes.
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