Chapter 390
To See Who Was the Biological Daughter Through Their Different Attitudes
Hearing the approaching footsteps outside, Qin Wanru motioned Yujie to stand aside.
âSecond Miss, the imperial physician, Doctor Li has come!â Qu Leâs voice said outside the door.
Qin Wanru got up and stood behind the gauze bed curtain when Yujie walked to the door and lifted the door curtain. A middle-aged imperial physician came in with a servant who was carrying a medicine chest on his back following behind.
Nanny Zhou was also following him. When she saw Madam Di lying on the bed motionlessly with eyes opening, she leaped on Madam Di and cried frightenedly, âMadam! Madam! What happened to you?â
âMadam Di just woke up. She felt uncomfortable and seemed to freak out.â Yujie came and explained to her after bowing to the imperial physician.
Nanny Zhou was so anxious that she almost cried, âMadam? Madam! Whatâs wrong with you? Please let me know!â
It appeared that Nanny Zhouâs call brought Madam Diâs soul back. Turning her head difficultly, she saw the imperial physician who just arrived in the capital city. Her eyes suddenly shone and she tried to move towards him but failed because of her debility.
Yujie stepped forward and said gently. âNanny Zhou, please help Madam Di prepare for the inquiry and help the imperial physician feel Madam Diâs pulse!â
Then Yujie helped Nanny Zhou lead Madam Di to the side of bed and covered Madam Diâs hand with her handkerchief. Qu Le quickly put a chair beside the bed and had the imperial physician sit down.
Doctor Li took a seat and then reached out his hand to feel Madam Diâs pulse carefully.
Everyoneâs breathing sounded clearer when a silence hung over the room.
After finishing the examination of one hand, the physician began to check the other hand.
Suddenly, the door curtain was roughly lifted up. It was Qin Yuru! She rushed into the room with Mei Xue in a hurry and cried, âMother! MotherâŠâ
Everyone was shocked by her. Doctor Li also goggled at her in astonishment.
âNanny Zhou, how is my mother?â Qin Yuru quickly seized Nanny Zhou and asked with an extremely anxious look.
Doctor Li coughed heavily by intention. Then he closed his eyes again and felt Madam Diâs pulse silently.
âBig Sister, youâd better come here and donât bother the imperial physician!â Qin Wanru slightly lifted the corner of her mouth. âQin Yuru must be afraid of being found out by others that she has not been with her mother when Madam Di is ill and that is why she is here now.â
Then Qin Yuru also went behind the gauze bed curtain and sat on a chair beside. She asked nervously, âSecond Sister, how is my mother now?â
âBig Sister, please stop talking and let the imperial physician examine Madam Di carefully!â Qin Wanru answered in a calm manner.
Qin Yuru looked livid but she knew it was inappropriate to keep asking. Clenching her handkerchief in hand firmly, she kept looking through the curtain and checked how everything was going on. She now felt resentful towards herself because she had forgotten the appointment with the imperial physician completely. Otherwise, she would not have had a rest.
An imperial physician from the royal palace not only stood for the superb medical skills but also the opportunity to encounter aristocrats. If there had been anybody who knew she didnât accompany her mother who was ill, then she would not have had a good reputation, which might affect her future. Thus, she could not let others know she was unfilial.
Qin Yuru was not reconciled at all and then she asked Qin Wanru in a low voice, âSecond Sister, since the imperial physician has come, why didnât you tell me?â
Qin Wanru glanced at her with a sneer. She knew that Qin Yuru was worried about her reputation and that was why she stopped pretending to be ill and came here in a hurry. A few moments ago, she seemed to be so ill that she could not even stand with the help of two servant girls but now she ran into the room without anyoneâs help! How fast!
âYou just said that you felt uncomfortable and wanted to have a rest so I donât dare to bother you!â answered Qin Wanru calmly.
Her answer made Qin Yuru look much more embarrassed. The handkerchief in her hand seemed to be torn apart.
âI was not feeling well!â She quibbled.
âI know you donât feel well. When the imperial physician finished his examination towards Madam Di, you can ask him to check for you!â Qin Wanru answered impassively.
Pretending to be ill in front of an imperial physician? Qin Yuru immediately cast away this idea and shook her head nervously. âWell, well, I think it is unnecessary. How can I trouble the imperial physician?â
âSince he now is checking Madam Di, it wonât be a trouble for him to feel your pulse. It is not a big deal. Just let father send some presents to thank the imperial physician!â Qin Wanru said mildly with her eyes shining.
âI, I donât think it appropriate. Just, just donât bother him and see how mother is going on!â Qin Yuru gave a hollow laugh.
âThe trick of pretending to be sick is easy to be unmasked. Not to mention, an imperial physician from the royal palace is here. Nobody will doubt his medical skills. If he points out that I am pretending to be sick, then my fraud will be exposed.â
Qin Wanru said nothing but smiled coldly. Although Qin Yuru didnât know, she knew there was a kind of medicine which could disturb oneâs pulse and make the physician think the person was truly sick when feeling the pulse!
Outside the bed curtain, Doctor Li now finished the inquiry. Checking Madam Diâs complexion and her tongue coating, he let Nanny Zhou untie the towel around Madam Diâs neck and asked loudly, âWho is in charge of here?â
When he came here, there was a lady in the room but later another lady broke in, making him not know who took charge of everything here.
âImperial physician! How is my mother now?â Qin Yuru quickly stood up and walked outside the bed curtain to ask the imperial physician in a hurry.
Doctor Li stared at Qin Yuru and he quickly recognized she was the one who broke in the room. He frowned slightly and then his gaze fell last on Qin Wanru who walked behind Qin Yuru.
It appeared that Qin Wanru was younger than Qin Yuru and the formerâs body was still undeveloped. He could not believe that it was this little girl who was with the patient in the room before and the elder one came here only because she saw him.
Even though Doctor Li was the imperial physician who served those aristocrats in the royal palace, he would be invited by some aristocratic families to give home visits. Thus, he knew a few things about those inner courts of some aristocratic families.
It seemed that the lady who followed behind was this madamâs biological daughter. As for the older one who came later, she would not be the biological one. Otherwise, she should have been passionate about this madamâs situation.
âSo are you Second Miss?â When recognizing Qin Yuru was the one who came later, Doctor Li naturally decided to talk to the âbiological daughterâ.
âYes, I am.â Qin Wanru answered with a smile and stepped forward.
âYour mother is not well⊠and how about talking about the diagnosis outside the room?â Glancing at Madam Di who lay on the bed and looked nervous, Doctor Li said to Qin Wanru.
âImperial physician, she is my mother. Please let me know how my mother is now!â Hearing the imperial physicianâs words, Qin Yuru knew he had misunderstood. This mistake quite embarrassed her and made her look irritated and ashamed. Even so, she suppressed the irritation in her heart and said to the physician politely.
âMadam Di is, is your biological mother?â Looking at Qin Yuru and Madam Di who was lying on the bed, Doctor Li was confused.
âShe is my mother, not Second Sisterâs. Please tell us directly!â Qin Yuru explained in an impatient way. She bowed sideways to him and asked while her eyes were red-rimmed again, âImperial physician, whatâs wrong with my mother? Please let us know!â
Doctor Li glanced at Qin Yuru and then shifted his gaze to Qin Wanru. Now he found out he misunderstood. Even so, interrupted by Qin Yuru, he now had forgotten the plan that he just wanted to talk about the result outside the room. Thus, he cleared his throat and said, âMadam Di now suffers the bruising of the vocal cords so she needs a bed rest to rehabilitate her voice. However, this is not the most serious problemâŠâ
âWhat? Please tell us!â Qin Yuru asked anxiously.
Qin Wanru found Madam Di on the bed was stunned and stared at Doctor Li anxiously.
âMadam Di suffered a stroke. Even though it is not quite serious, she must need a good bed rest and she canât be too tired. Besides, she should avoid being too emotional and she needs a quiet life to recover from this illness,â answered Doctor Li.
âSo, so she can recover soon by only having a quiet rest?â Qin Yuru asked with an anxious look.
âWell, this, this, I am afraid that she cannot recover as well as before completely. It appears to be impossible. However, it is good for her to have a rest cure anyway. It is not too bad as the stroke only affected half her body, which might make half of her slightly paralyzed and make her feel uncomfortable to use the hand and foot of that part of the body!â Doctor Li explained implicitly. âThere will be no too serious problems if she has a good rest to recover.â
âI suffered a stroke. I will be like this forever. I will look half dead in the future. I will find it difficult to get up by myselfâŠâ
Madam Diâs brain was in buzz with the imperial physicianâs words hanging over her ears. She suddenly closed her eyes and fainted again. Why would things become like this? Her wealth, her position and her bright future had all goneâŠ
Qin Yuru was also astounded. How could Madam Di suffer a stroke and how could she not be able to recover completely? Did it mean that she had to take care of her mother all the time? WhatâŠHow would things become like this?
âImperial physician, Madam Di blacked out and please take a look.â As there was only Qin Wanru who still kept calm, she said to the imperial physician.
Then the physician felt Madam Diâs pulse again and pulled up her eyelid to check. After a while, he turned around and said to Qin Yuru, âFirst Miss, your mother is devastated and please help her ease her anxiety. If she is still like this all the time, she will get worse. Since her body has been like this, sheâd better take a good rest to recover. Donât make her feel tired and please remind her of being leisurely and calm.â
Qin Yuruâs gaze was fixed on Madam Di who now was on the bed and she didnât hear Doctor Liâs advice. She only remembered that her mother would be half dead like this forever, which meant that she, Madam Diâs daughter, had to be with her mother all the time. She had to spend her best lifetime on her mother! She even could not attend those ladiesâ parties!
She had just arrived in the capital city and what she liked most was to participate in those banquets held by ladies from aristocratic families. Now there was no chance for her to dress prettily to go to those parties!
âDoctor Li, please tell Nanny Zhou what Madam Di needs to be aware of!â Qin Wanru reminded the imperial physician gently.
âYes, yes! Please let me know!â Qin Wanruâs words brought Nanny Zhou back from the shock. Nanny Zhou quickly answered with tears.
Doctor Li watched Qin Yuru who looked shocked but not woeful at all and then turned to stare at Qin Wanru who looked calm but dealt with things properly. His eyes looked gradually dark. It appeared that the so-called biological daughter didnât care about her mother at all and the reason why she looked shocked would not be about her motherâs illness.
Thinking that it was not the biological daughter who was with Madam Di but the Second Miss was there before he went in the room, Doctor Li felt that this First Miss wasnât emotionally attached to her mother and Second Miss was much better than her. Although this little Second Miss was not this madamâs biological daughter, she had the ability to manage everything in a sober way.
Shaking his head silently, he thought that this so-called First Miss was not only unfilial but even unable to manage things. If not interrupted by her, he would not have talked about the diagnosis in front of his patient, which led to this madamâs sudden faint.
He then told Nanny Zhou some details of prevention of stroke and asked her to dab at Madam Diâs neck with medical herbs. After that, Yujie then led him to another room to give a prescription!