Chapter 13: Three Lie Down, Two Stay Up

Gu Ping'an looked thoughtful. It seemed true; whether this family was good or bad really had little to do with him.

Gu Tang waved him off, urging him to hurry: "Go quickly, I'll tell you the details when things settle down. For now, listen to me and head toward the riverbank. All the wives, aunts, and elderly women in the village are there washing clothes; it'll be best to talk to them."

That place was the gathering hub for all sorts of village gossip. Anything that passed through there, even the most refined and elegant matter, would end up being washed by several buckets of muddy water.

Having convinced himself, Gu Ping'an no longer felt any resistance. He gave a cheerful response and turned to run off.

Watching him leave the courtyard, Gu Tang returned to her room and bolted the door.

She had woken up too early today to go into town, and having just exerted herself a bit, she felt quite weary. She decided to crawl back into her quilt for a nap.

Not long after lying down, Gu Tang fell into a deep sleep, clearly exhausted.

In the main hall, Madam Feng and Gu Lian in the east wing, hearing no movement from Gu Tang's side for a long time, began to steal glances toward the west wing through the window.

Seeing that Gu Tang had not emerged since entering her room, both sides involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief. They hurriedly set about boiling water or changing clothes.

They all subconsciously lightened their movements; even Madam Feng, who usually couldn't stand the sight of the "little girl," restrained herself significantly.

In the past, they would surely exchange a few insults upon meeting, but now she only dared to roll her eyes to settle the matter.

It seemed that sometimes, an evil person could only be dealt with by another.

The oppressive atmosphere did not last long before Gu Lianshan returned after fetching the physician.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Gu Lianshan told the clan physician to go to the main hall on his own, while he ran to the west wing to call for Gu Tang.

Gu Tang had a heavy morning temper. She was in the middle of a beautiful sleep when she heard her father's voice and replied impatiently that she was sleeping and told him not to disturb her.

Hearing his daughter's words, Gu Lianshan felt relieved and turned toward the main hall.

To be able to sleep so soundly meant that no one dared to argue with or scold his daughter after he had left.

Upon entering the main hall, Physician Gu had just begun to take the pulse.

Old Man Gu had regained consciousness, but his spirit was poor and his complexion was sallow.

Seeing his second son enter, the old man became agitated again, trembling as he pointed a finger at him. "Get out, get out! Get out of here! There will be no place for you in this house ever again..."

Halfway through his sentence, he began clutching his chest in pain, causing the color to drain from Madam Feng's face.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry! You know exactly what kind of scoundrel he is. He is very malicious; if you argue with him, he'll just claim you're faking your illness."

Hearing this, Old Man Gu became even angrier. He opened his mouth wide, gasping for breath, looking as if he were about to faint again.

Gu Lianshan sometimes truly admired his own mother: "Mother, are you wishing for Father to die? Listen to what you're saying—it's as if you're terrified he won't die of anger!"

Madam Feng froze, then flew into a rage.

Just as she was about to lash out, her old husband suddenly grabbed her wrist, gripping it tightly while staring at her with a dark expression.

This was a look he usually reserved for others; unexpectedly, today, it was directed at her.

Grief welled up in Madam Feng, and she suddenly felt wronged: "The second son holds a grudge and thinks I'm not a good person, so he makes up stories. What? Do you believe his words too?"

Old Man Gu composed his expression and said nothing.

Gu Lianshan tutted twice and continued to fan the flames: "Mother, Father didn't say he didn't believe you. Look, Father hasn't said a single word."

It would have been better if he hadn't spoken; once he did, Madam Feng felt even more wronged. Ignoring the presence of outsiders, she threw herself onto the bed and began to cry.

Old Man Gu's face flushed red. He was angry at his son for intentionally provoking her, yet he also felt Madam Feng was being undignified and making a scene!

Just as he was about to scold them, Physician Gu suddenly spoke up, telling him to be quiet.

"Uncle Gu, please do not speak. The pulse is completely chaotic right now! Only if you are calm and composed can the pulse be steady."

Since it concerned his own ailment, Old Man Gu endured it. He controlled himself, letting his anger dissipate so the physician could take his pulse.

Today's incident had truly frightened him!

For all these years, his health had been quite good. Although he had faked illness a few times, there had been reasons for it.

It was all due to that scoundrel of a second son being disobedient and useless; he had been forced into it.

It was also for the second son's own good; his intention was simply to make the second son more obedient and filial. He truly had no ill intentions.

How had he suddenly fallen ill?

Could it be that he had faked it too many times and was now being punished by Heaven?

The more Old Man Gu thought, the more his thoughts became muddled, and the more muddled he became, the more he felt it was a divine punishment.

Physician Gu checked the pulse with both hands and finally concluded it was "chest constriction" (xiongbi).

Old Man Gu looked bewildered. He was just an uneducated man who had only read for two years and traveled as far as Beian City; he had little knowledge and had never heard of such a condition.

Physician Gu understood at a glance and chose words the old man could comprehend.

"This illness won't take a life immediately, but it requires nursing!"

"How do I nurse it?" Old Man Gu asked anxiously.

"No strenuous labor, no extreme joy or sorrow, no heavy meats... In short, from now on, you must maintain a light diet, stay calm, and take medicine daily. It will take several years of slow recovery."

As soon as these words were spoken, Madam Feng, who had been wailing on the bed, stopped crying instantly.

With an anxious expression, she rushed to ask: "Medicine every day? How many packets a day? For how many years? Is the medicine expensive..."

The string of questions made Old Man Gu's face darken. He closed his eyes, constantly telling himself not to get angry.

Physician Gu had a very good temperament and answered Madam Feng's questions patiently one by one.

Hearing this, Madam Feng's heart sank to the bottom. This illness was a money pit; if one wanted to live, one had to fill it with money!

Gu Lianshan understood as well. He left the main hall very quickly, fearing Madam Feng would cling to him for money!

All the silver in the house was held by the elderly couple; he had no money to treat his father.

Based on the physician's words, nothing would happen in the short term, so he would just drag it out slowly.

His father was afraid of death; his father would find a way to deal with the money himself. Regardless, he had none.

After explaining to Old Man Gu and arranging a time to collect the medicine, Physician Gu left the main hall and went to the east wing to continue treating the eldest Gu son.

The eldest son's illness was easy to diagnose. After checking the pulse for a while, Physician Gu gave his conclusion: he had suffered a head injury that had affected the brain, and he needed to rest in bed with a calm mind.

"For how long? And how should he rest?" Lady Wei felt her heart sink halfway.

"At most a year or so, at least three to five months. It is unpredictable."

"Besides taking medicine on time every day, the most important thing is bed rest. It must be quiet; no noise, no anger, and no reading books..."

"Additionally, good food must be provided. Only by eating and sleeping well can he recover faster."

Upon hearing this, the other half of Lady Wei's heart went cold. Her entire soul felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar—chilled to the bone!

There were only three men in the Gu family who could uphold the household's prestige. Now, two were bedridden, and the remaining one was a walking disaster!

At this point, not only did the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Madam Feng and Lady Wei, feel as if the sky were falling, but even the children in the house felt as if the sky were falling.