Chapter 676: Pulse-Taking
Meanwhile, things were deadlocked on Matriarch Lu’s side. Her grandson was watching something on his phone and would every now and then lean slightly toward Gu Mang to show it to her. All the servants in her courtyard had heard the elderly woman shouting at her grandson in futility earlier.
As Lu Shangjin volleyed his gaze between the intimate couple and his enraged mother, he could not help but find the situation somewhat strange. It felt as if his nephew was the one who had been ousted from the family, not him. His hands were clasped together as he sat restlessly, not knowing what to say to ease the tension. He found himself in a difficult situation with these three bigwigs in the room.
All of a sudden, Matriarch Lu started gasping for breath, breaking the long silence in the room. “Oh dear, I’m feeling a little unwell, Gu Mang. Come help me take my pulse. I’m short of breath.”
The couple wordlessly looked up and saw the old lady clutching her chest as she lay somewhat uneasily on the massage chair. Lu Shangjin, on the other hand, was frightened out of his wits, for he thought that his mother’s anger had triggered some medical situation. He rose to his feet right away and looked nervously at the girl. “Gu Mang.”
“Come take a look at me, lass,” said Matriarch Lu weakly. Stroking her nose, Gu Mang thus withdrew her hand from Lu Chengzhou’s, stood up, and walked over to Matriarch Lu. While passing by the table and chairs at the side, she dragged one of the chairs over and placed it next to the massage chair before sitting down on it.
The elderly woman placed her right hand on the table. Her left hand was still clutching her chest. Her eyes were shut and she appeared to be feeling really unwell. Gu Mang checked Matriarch Lu’s complexion and placed her fingers on her wrist to take her pulse, only removing them three minutes later.
“Gu Mang, am I in poor health?” asked Matriarch Lu when she opened her eyes and looked at Gu Mang. Her son was completely panicking now.
Gu Mang mulled over the question for a few seconds before answering, “You’re fine.”
The old lady, however, knitted her eyebrows together at that. “Then why do I feel unwell all over?”
Gu Mang licked her lips. “Where’s the medicine I prescribed to you?”
“Over there.” The matriarch pointed at the bedside cabinet.
While Gu Mang went to grab the medicine, Lu Chengzhou poured a cup of water and brought it over to his grandmother with his uncle following nervously behind him. As the three of them stood in front of the massage chair, Gu Mang shook a tablet out of the bottle of medicine and onto its lid before handing it over to the matriarch. “Take the medicine.”
“What a sensible girl,” remarked Matriarch Lu in an amicable manner. When her grandson handed her the cup of water, though, her expression immediately changed. While glaring at him, she reluctantly took the cup and ate her medicine.
Lu Chengzhou had a hand in his pocket as he lifted his chin and said, “Think about it. If Sixth Uncle didn’t leave the capital, he wouldn’t have gotten to know Gu Mang, nor would I. Without a granddaughter-in-law, you won’t be able to get…”
Although he did not complete his sentence, his grandmother knew very well what he meant. That’s right. Without a granddaughter-in-law, how am I going to get my precious great-grandchildren? So is this brat saying that it was a good thing that I kicked his Sixth Uncle out of the family? How can I let things slide just like that, though?!
When she recalled how her son had nearly driven her to death while being at odds with her, she felt stifled again. Meanwhile, Gu Mang, who had no idea what the two of them were talking about, cocked an eyebrow as the old lady silently drank from the cup of water.
Lu Shangjin heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that his mother had calmed down. Although he did not know what his nephew was talking about, he had the feeling that it had something to do with his incomplete sentence.
…
Lu Zhan, Lin Zhou, and the two children were seated in the front hall, so they also heard Matriarch Lu yelling earlier. Lu Zhan did not move from his seat to go check things out, so Lu Zhou could do nothing but down several cups of tea consecutively out of worry.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps made them turn their heads over instinctively. With a light-colored shawl draped around her shoulders, Matriarch Lu walked towards them with Lu Chengzhou, Gu Mang, and Lu Shangjin in tow.