The Old Madam enjoyed tranquility. Only Grandma Sun was attending to her in the room.
When Yuan Qingling came back, Grandma Sun beamed, “Is it the Consort coming? Please come in quickly.”
Yuan Qingling sighed lightly in her heart. In this marquis manor, it was not easy to see a sincere smile.
As she walked in, she asked, "How is Grandmother's health?"
Grandma Sun blocked her and smiled awkwardly, "Still okay. She drank over half a bowl of porridge today. Usually she only drinks half a bowl a day."
Yuan Qingling looked at her outstretched hand. Was she not allowing her to go in?
"Grandma Sun, I want to go in and see Grandmother." Said Yuan Qingling.
Grandma Sun sighed, "Consort, you should go back first. The Old Madam is still angry. I mentioned you a few days ago and she immediately frowned without a word."
Yuan Qingling immediately recalled that the Old Madam had opposed her scheming her way into the royal family as Consort. She had even struggled to sit up and scolded her fiercely before the wedding, saying she was muddle-headed and vain, overestimating herself, and acting on impulse.
Previously when the original host returned home to seek an audience with Grandmother, the Old Madam always shut her out, extremely disappointed in her.
It was nice to have such an understanding person in this Jing Manor.
The original host’s actions were indeed muddled and foolish.
She said gently, "Grandma Sun, this time I have an urgent matter. I just came out of the palace yesterday. There are some things I must consult Grandmother about."
Hearing she had come out of the palace yesterday, Grandma Sun said, "Then try going in. If she's still angry, you can't say any more. She can't get angry in her current state."
"I know!" Said Yuan Qingling, and walked inside.
The room was dimly lit with the windows all closed. The cool autumn breeze still crept in through the door, making it quite chilly.
Yuan Qingling saw the Old Madam lying in bed. Her whole body was terribly thin without an ounce of flesh on her face. She was skin and bones. Her face was lifeless, with no vigor in her sunken eyes. Only when she saw clearly that it was Yuan Qingling did a trace of sharp light appear in them.
Immediately, her face darkened as she said hoarsely and coldly, "This old woman did not know the Consort would honor us with her presence. Please forgive my inadequacy in welcoming you properly."
Yuan Qingling's heart inexplicably ached. It seemed the original host did care deeply for this grandmother.
She said gently, "Grandmother, do not be angry."
The Old Madam's face was cold as she turned away, ignoring her.
Yuan Qingling walked closer and saw her face was waxen yellow, her eyes were sunken, clearly showing long illness.
"Grandmother!" She sat down and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Not dead yet!" The Old Madam's voice carried anger, but the anger made her seem somewhat more spirited.
Yuan Qingling asked Grandma Sun, "What symptoms does Grandmother have?"
"Still struggling to breathe, coughing, breathing with great difficulty."
"What did the doctor say?"
"The doctor said it was pulmonary disease."
"Meddlesome!" The Old Madam glared coldly at Grandma Sun.
Yuan Qingling took out her stethoscope and said, "This is a gadget bestowed by the Retired Emperor when I went to the palace yesterday. It's said it can hear what illnesses a person's heart and lungs harbor..."
Hearing it was bestowed by the Retired Emperor, the Old Madam's face slowly turned as her gaze sharpened on her. "The Retired Emperor saw you?"
"Yes, I was attending to his illness in the palace for several days, only leaving yesterday." Yuan Qingling smiled slightly.
Grandma Sun quickly added, "See how thoughtful the Consort is, just returning from the palace yesterday, yet coming first thing this morning to see Grandmother."
The Old Madam's face grew even darker. She suddenly sat up and slapped Yuan Qingling, shaking with anger, "What other tales do you still want to spin? Would the Retired Emperor summon you to the palace to attend to him?"
The slap landed on Yuan Qingling's face but contained no strength at all. Yuan Qingling didn't even feel pain.
All the Old Madam's strength went into shouting that sentence. Then came her labored breathing without coughing. The air in her windpipe sounded like boiling water, gurgling loudly.
Her face gradually turned purple, her lips bloodless and pale. Her body went limp as she lay back down, still unable to stop panting.
Yuan Qingling hurriedly turned and took out a medicine box. Inside was a box of asthma inhaler. She quickly opened it and held it to the Old Madam's mouth, urging loudly, "Inhale deeply. This is medicine from the palace, extremely good."
The Old Madam, struggling for breath, did not want to heed Yuan Qingling, but with each wheeze she still inhaled the medicine.
Seeing the inhaler descend by one dose, Yuan Qingling knew she had inhaled it successfully. She slowly withdrew it, patting the Old Madam's chest, "Breathe slowly, relax!"
The Old Madam's breathing gradually eased, and the purple flush on her face slowly receded.
Grandma Sun said in wonder, "What medicine is this? It's too miraculous!"
"Medicine from the palace. The Retired Emperor uses it too." Yuan Qingling had already placed the medicine by the bedside. "Give this to Grandmother when she has an attack."
The Old Madam gradually calmed down. Yuan Qingling took out the stethoscope and listened to her heart and lungs.
She remembered the Old Madam used to have asthma and had likely developed emphysema now, leading to her weakened state. Once she started wheezing, it was nearly fatal.
Asthma was already hard to treat. Added to the chronic emphysema, it would be difficult to improve without long-term care.
The Old Madam had never breathed so smoothly in her years of illness.
Previously, every breath required great effort to force air down, resulting in long-term oxygen deprivation that sometimes left her mind hazy. Thus, she had handed over control of the household to Yuan Qingling's mother, Mrs. Huang. But Mrs. Huang was incompetent, losing control to Second Madam in just a few months.
The Old Madam and Second Madam had always been at odds. After Second Madam took over, the Old Madam simply stopped interfering and retired here to quietly recuperate.
After the Old Madam's breathing evened out, her anger also vanished. She asked doubtfully, "This is truly medicine from the palace? You really attended to the Retired Emperor there?"
Yuan Qingling nodded. "Of course it's true. Grandmother, many people know about this, Father knows too."
Only then did the Old Madam's expression soften as she looked at her and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Yuan Qingling smiled and shook her head. "Grandmother didn't even use any strength."
The Old Madam humphed, "That's because I have no strength left. If I had my strength, I would have beaten you to death already, sparing myself the shame you bring."
Seeing the fondness in her eyes, Yuan Qingling's heart settled as she held her hand and said gently, "Grandmother, granddaughter was wrong. I should have listened to you."
The Old Madam sighed lightly as she looked at the scar on her forehead. "The path is chosen by oneself, there's no turning back now. You can only grit your teeth and keep going. But you needn't please anyone nor do anything for your father. Just live your days well in the manor. That in itself is your blessing. Don't overthink anything else."
Yuan Qingling nodded silently.
But the Old Madam suddenly said sternly again, "However, don't completely grovel and humiliate our Jing Manor's reputation. In the end it's but one life. If you're bullied too much, even at the cost of this life, you must still resist. Endlessly bowing your head doesn't mean you'll necessarily fare well. Remember this!"
Yuan Qingling's nose soured. The Old Madam feared her suffering yet also her humiliation. She truly cared for her deeply.
"Granddaughter remembers," she said.
