"Terrible news! Old Madame Li's coughing fit has started up again."
Nanny Cao hurried into Qingyou Courtyard with a panicked expression, shoving open the door to Shen Yiru's bedchamber. "Young Madam, the Old Madame is coughing terribly. She must have had her throat blocked by phlegm again; her face has turned purple from choking."
Shen Yiru was busy making medicinal herb packets inside the room. Hearing Nanny Cao's words, she immediately tossed the herbs in her hand aside and stepped outside. "Qingyao, grab the medicine box and head to Shouqing Courtyard."
"Yes, ma'am." Qingyao complied instantly, snatched up the medicine box, and trotted after her mistress.
Shen Yiru moved at a brisk pace. A walk that usually took a full quarter of an hour took her only half that time.
"Grandmother!" she called out, pushing open the door to Old Madame Li's room.
A crowd of maids and matrons was gathered around Old Madame Li's bed. Seeing this, Shen Yiru frowned slightly. "Didn't I say before? When Grandmother's coughing fit acts up, there shouldn't be so many people crowding around. The room needs ventilation."
When the others saw that the Young Madam had arrived, they quickly retreated to the side and bowed. "Greetings, Young Madam."
Shen Yiru strode up to Old Madame Li's bed. At this point, the old woman could only emit low, wheezing gasps. Because she could not breathe properly, she had her eyes closed and was instinctively shoving her fingers into her mouth, desperately clawing at her throat.
Shen Yiru hurriedly reached out to grab Old Madame Li's wrist, soothing her in a gentle voice, "Grandmother, relax. I'm here."
When Old Madame Li opened her eyes and saw that her granddaughter-in-law had arrived, her gaze lit up, filled with urgent longing.
"Qingyao, the medicine box." Shen Yiru turned around just as Qingyao ran in with the box strapped to her back. Qingyao rushed to her mistress's side, set the box down, and briskly opened it, pulling out silver needles to hand over.
Shen Yiru took the needles without delay and immediately drove seven or eight of them into the corresponding acupuncture points on Old Madame Li's neck. Once the needles were set, Old Madame Li closed her eyes and tried desperately to cough, but still failed.
Seeing the old woman's face turning a deeper shade of purple, Shen Yiru turned to Qingyao. "Bring the bamboo tube."
Hearing this, Qingyao bit her lip. She reached into the medicine box, took out a slender bamboo tube, and handed it to her mistress with some hesitation. "Mistress, perhaps we should wait a little longer? The Old Madame might cough up the phlegm on her own..."
"We cannot take that risk," Shen Yiru said firmly.
Without a trace of hesitation, she reached out and pinched Old Madame Li's cheeks, forcing her mouth open. Then, she inserted the bamboo tube deep into the old woman's throat, leaned down, and sucked on the other end of the tube.
She inhaled carefully...
A moment later, Old Madame Li began to cough. "Cough, cough, cough..."
The sound of the violent coughing made Shen Yiru let out a massive sigh of relief. She immediately pulled out the bamboo tube. A maid was already standing by with a spittoon and a cup of tea. Shen Yiru dropped the tube into the spittoon and spat out all the foul phlegm from her mouth into it. Afterward, she took the teacup handed to her, drank a few sips, and rinsed her mouth.
With a heart full of distress, Qingyao took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mistress's mouth.
"Cough, cough, cough... Cough, cough, cough..."
After coughing for quite a while, Old Madame Li's breathing grew much smoother, and her purplish-red complexion improved significantly.
"Water..." she rasped.
A maid immediately stepped forward with a cup of water. Shen Yiru sat back down by the bedside, helped Old Madame Li up, took the cup, and fed her personally. "Drink some water, Grandmother."
With her eyes closed, Old Madame Li took three large gulps, then stroked her chest and let out a long breath.
It was only then that Nanny Cao hurried back in, panting heavily. Seeing that Old Madame Li was out of danger, she wheezed with relief, "Thank goodness for the Young Madam, otherwise the Old Madame would have been in grave peril."
All the maids and matrons in the room showered their Young Madam with endless praise.
"The Young Madam is truly a paragon of filial piety."
"Not only is her medical skill superb, but she is also genuinely good to the Old Madame. Ordinary people could never bring themselves to suck out the phlegm for her."
"Indeed. Words cannot describe how wonderful the Young Madam is."
"How is Grandmother?" Lady Xie rushed into the room, followed closely by the estate doctor, whose hair was touched with grey.
Seeing Lady Xie arrive, Shen Yiru stood up and curtsied. "Greetings, Mother."
Lady Xie's expression softened considerably at the sight of her daughter-in-law. "Good child, rise." She stepped forward, took her daughter-in-law's hand, and patted it gently. "Have you already examined your grandmother?"
"Yes, Mother. It is just like the previous few times—Grandmother's cough flared up again, and there was too much phlegm in her throat, obstructing her breathing. I have already treated her, and she is out of danger now."
Hearing this, Lady Xie glanced at the spittoon nearby and understood. She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her mouth. "You've had a hard time."
Shen Yiru said softly, "It is nothing. Compared to Grandmother's safety, this is of no account."
Lady Xie nodded with satisfaction, then gestured for the estate doctor to take the prescription Shen Yiru had written and go brew the medicine.
General Li's Mansion always kept an estate doctor on hand. However, by comparison, the doctor's medical skills were not as refined as Shen Yiru's. Therefore, ever since Shen Yiru married into the general's household two years ago, whenever Old Madame Li or Lady Xie felt unwell, they would always have Shen Yiru examine them first. As a result, the estate doctor merely served to review prescriptions and brew the medicine.
Shen Yiru wrote out the prescription and handed it to the doctor. "Trouble for you, Doctor Li."
Doctor Li bowed with cupped hands and respectfully accepted the prescription. "You flatter me, Young Madam."
He examined the prescription closely and could not help exclaiming, "What a marvelous prescription! Compared to the previous ones, the Young Madam has made a few minor adjustments. The additions of fritillary bulb and apricot kernel are simply brilliant. I daresay the Old Madame's cough will be completely cured before long."
Shen Yiru looked at the doctor and offered a polite, faint smile. "Let us hope so, as Doctor Li says."
Doctor Li cupped his hands again and withdrew to brew the medicine.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Old Madame Li gave a few light coughs, beckoned Shen Yiru closer, and said in a raspy, gentle voice, "Yiru, come here."
Lady Xie led Shen Yiru forward. Standing respectfully by the bedside, Lady Xie asked with concern, "Mother, how are you feeling?"
Old Madame Li nodded, then reached out to take Shen Yiru's hand, pulling her down to sit on the edge of the bed. "Good child, you've really had a hard time. An old bag of bones like me is still causing you so much trouble and exhaustion."
"Grandmother, this is only what a granddaughter-in-law ought to do," Shen Yiru said softly, reaching out to tuck the blanket around Old Madame Li.
Old Madame Li smiled with deep gratification, reaching out to stroke Shen Yiru's head. "Wangzhou is truly blessed to have married a wife as fine as you. It's just a pity that on your wedding day, His Majesty issued an imperial decree ordering him off to the front lines. He has been gone for two years now, and who knows when he will return?"
Hearing this, Lady Xie chimed in, "Indeed, our Yiru has suffered greatly. When Wangzhou returns, we must make sure he properly compensates her. If he dares to treat Yiru poorly, I, his mother, will be the first one not to spare him."
Hearing Old Madame Li and Lady Xie speak thusly, warmth blossomed in Shen Yiru's heart.