The warm sunlight shone through the rosewood window and onto the red sandalwood sofa. In a pair of vases beside him, there were a few blooming peonies. They were elegant and gorgeous. It didn't look like it was in a vase, but it was more beautiful than the flowers in the garden.
The old lady leaned against the embroidered quilt and half-lay on the brocade couch with her eyes narrowed, enjoying the warm moment when her son massaged her legs.
"Mother, you have a cold leg. It's better to ask Physician Hou to treat it!”In the past two years, the old lady's leg disease had become more and more serious. In the past, it would only happen when it rained on cloudy days or during the cold winter. It was already March and spring, but her legs were still aching. Even if she warmed them with hot water, it was useless. Old Master Gu stroked his mother's swollen knee, his eyes full of worry.
When the old lady heard this, she slowly opened her reserved eyes and looked lovingly at her son who was massaging her legs. She propped herself up and sat up.
Old Master Gu hurriedly stuffed a soft pillow behind his mother's back and helped her sit properly. Then, he lifted her left leg and continued massaging it.
"Alright, Mother knows that you are a filial person. This leg massage isn't something that a family head like you should do. Hua 'er, come! Come sit beside mother, we haven't chatted for a long time.”The old lady held his hand, patted the edge of the couch beside her, and looked at her son with a smile.
Master Gu looked up at his mother, whose face was full of wrinkles. His heart ached slightly, and he quickly covered it up with words."My son is the head of the family, but he's also your son. It's only right for him to be filial.”
The old lady looked at her youngest son, who had been kind and prudent since he was young, with a smile. It wasn't as good as Second Brother who was talented in martial arts and was put in an important position by the Imperial Court. However, with his personality, he was the best at guarding the house. The family business in his hometown, under his management, was two to three times larger than his father's. It was a pity that he did not have a virtuous wife who was in charge of the inner court. Sigh! It would be great if Suqin (Lady Liu's maiden name) could recover to her former state!
Thinking of this, the old lady sighed softly and patted her son's hand. She remembered his question just now."I don't know how many doctors I've seen, but the result is the same! Don't make things difficult for Physician Hou. Mother's old bones are just like this!”
Old Master Gu's eyes darkened and he was speechless for a long time. At this moment, Hong Zao came over with a bowl of white rice. He looked at it and asked curiously,""Mother, did the breakfast not suit your taste? If there's anything you want to eat, just tell Madam You. Don't let yourself suffer.”
The old lady followed his gaze and laughed."This bowl of rice is not for eating. This was a folk prescription that the third girl had read from a book to treat old and cold legs. It was said to be mixed with rice and salt. After heating it, it was applied to the leg to reduce the swelling and pain. I've only applied it for two days, and the swelling on my knees has subsided. It's not as sore as it was a few days ago.”
Old Master Gu watched as the red dates spread the rice that had been smashed into mud evenly on the old lady's knees and wrapped it with white gauze. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry." I don't know where Third Girl got all this nonsense from. Rice can cure illnesses. This is the first time I've heard of it."”
The old lady thought about it and smiled. In the past, we didn't know that flowers and plants could also be eaten. Last time, the fried peonies that Third Girl asked Nanny Chen to send over tasted really good. And that stewed meat with hibiscus, it's fresh, tender, smooth, sweet and delicious…"
As if she had said it, a faint peony fragrance drifted into Old Master Gu's nose. He looked up at Yao Huang and Wei Zi, who were sitting in a vase, and the smile on his face deepened.""I didn't expect Ling 'er to have the talent to grow flowers. All the flowers in her hands are fresh and beautiful. Other people might not be able to grow a few of Wei Zi and Yao Huang even if they were carefully nurtured in the garden, but she managed to grow half of the garden. Such an expensive breed, other people's homes could not bear to let others touch it, wishing they could hold it in their hands and raise it. What about her? Not only was it used for cooking, but it was also folded down and put in a bottle. If Old Qian saw this, he would definitely be heartbroken and say that we were wasting God's gift.”
The Old Qian he was talking about was a friend who loved peonies like crazy. Every time the flowers bloomed, he would invite a group of friends to his house to admire the peonies. Those precious peonies were simply the cream of his crop. His wife often said with a smile,"Peonies are more precious than his son!"”
The old lady smiled and shook her head." That friend of yours claims to be an expert in raising peonies. One day, let him spar with the third girl." He wanted to see if he, an old man who had spent half his life soaking in flowers, was more powerful or if he was a half-grown child who had learned how to plant flowers from books for less than a month.”
Suddenly, as if something had touched her heartstrings, the old lady stopped smiling and sighed. She continued,"The third girl has a hard life. For the past ten years, she has been confined to that courtyard. Other than a little servant girl and her nanny, she didn't even have anyone to talk to. It was no wonder that she always sought refuge from books. Sigh! She can even read medical books. It's obvious how lonely she is…"
Speaking of the child that he had neglected and guarded against for ten years, Master Gu's smile disappeared, and his brows gradually overlapped. He pondered for a moment and said,"According to my observations during this period of time, there is nothing unusual about that child except for a few new ideas." " His body is much better than before, and his personality is much more cheerful…" His son thought. Perhaps it was really as the divinator said, and his soul had returned.”
Old Lady nodded." It's been more than half a month since Third Girl's tenth birthday. There hasn't been any trouble in the residence." The prophecy of a great calamity was probably gone. However, he didn't know where the saying 'blessing the world' came from. After all, she was just a little girl.”
Old Master Gu also comforted his mother in a half-believing manner. He said,"Ling 'er is still young. Perhaps there will be some opportunities in the future. Mother, don't worry, tomorrow is the day the shaman comes to exorcise the evil. After tomorrow, we'll have Ling 'er move out of Scholartree Garden and give her a better courtyard. Then, he would let her go to the girls 'school with her two sisters and study in the middle school. Treat her better as compensation for the lack of kinship she had for the past ten years.”
The old lady leaned against the blanket. The warmth from her legs made her squint her eyes comfortably. Hearing her son's words, she nodded slightly and said,"You can make the arrangements. Go to Aunt Liu's place a few more times in the next few days and let her walk around Scholartree Garden more. After all, it's a piece of meat that fell out of her stomach. Scholartree Garden's share is also increasing…As for Madam You, you should also remind her not to be so petty…"
Old Master Gu saw that his mother was a little tired and quickly helped her lie down. He personally covered her with a brocade blanket and replied softly,"Mother, don't worry. I know what to do. You should rest. Your son will accompany you for dinner tonight.”
The old lady didn't say anything and only waved her hand gently…
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]