Chapter 260: A Gift

 Chapter 260: A Gift

With Gu Jian's help, Grandma slowly lay back on the bed, but her eyes remained fixed on Xiao Yeyang.

Xiao Yeyang felt uncomfortable under her gaze and shifted his attention to Daohua, silently asking, What's going on here?

Daohua shrugged and shook her head, signaling that she didn’t know either.

Just when Daohua thought Grandma was about to say something, she unexpectedly closed her eyes, turned her back to them, and gave the impression that she no longer wished to engage.

Gu Jian then spoke up, “My sister needs rest, you should leave now!” His tone was unambiguously dismissive.

Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged a glance.

Daohua glanced at Grandma on the bed, thought for a moment, and said, “Grandma, rest well. We’ll leave now.”

Grandma didn’t respond, and Gu Jian started waving his hand impatiently.

Daohua, speechless, quickly exited the room with Xiao Yeyang.

As soon as they stepped out, the door slammed shut with a loud ‘bang.’

Xiao Yeyang stared at the closed door in surprise; this was the first time he had ever been kicked out! After a long pause, he muttered, “What kind of attitude is that?”

Daohua was equally speechless. “The strange monk is like that—he has an odd temperament. If he doesn’t like someone, he won’t even look at them.”

Xiao Yeyang shot her a dissatisfied look. “So you’re saying that strange monk doesn’t like me?”

Daohua rested her chin on her hand and gave him a sidelong glance. “They probably know your father, and maybe they even have a grudge against him.”

Xiao Yeyang laughed and responded, “Impossible! No matter what, my father would never oppress two elderly people older than your grandmother.”

Daohua nodded, but her expression remained doubtful. “But when I mentioned Prince Ping to them before, they got very agitated. Grandma also seemed to lose composure when she saw you. How do you explain that?”

Xiao Yeyang was at a loss for words. “How would I know? Didn’t you say they were strange people? Isn’t it normal for strange people to act in odd ways?”

Daohua shook her head and continued to ponder. “I think they either have a grudge against your family or a deep connection.”

Xiao Yeyang interrupted, “Then it must be a connection. From the looks of it, they’ve probably suffered greatly in the past, and maybe my father saved them.”

Daohua nodded, “Maybe that’s it. If they really had a grudge, Grandma wouldn’t have treated you like that.”

Xiao Yeyang sighed, “Alright, let’s stop talking about this. I’m free today, so I’ll accompany you to distribute porridge.”

“Great! I’ve been worrying about not having enough people.”

Back in the room, Gu Jian didn’t leave the window until he could no longer see Daohua and Xiao Yeyang. He then sat down at the bed’s edge.

Grandma opened her eyes, staring blankly at the canopy. “Did they leave?”

Gu Jian nodded. “They’re gone.”

After a long silence, a faint smile appeared on Grandma’s face. “Heaven is still kind to me. Before I die, I was able to see Prince Ping’s son.”

A flash of unwillingness appeared in Gu Jian's eyes. “Sister…”

Grandma raised a frail hand to stop him. “Wait until my health improves a bit, and then we’ll leave. We made our choice back then, and we shouldn’t disturb them anymore.”

Gu Jian lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly. After a long while, he resignedly said, “Alright. The girl brought some rice and flour. I’ll go cook something for you.” With that, he stood and left.

Watching her brother leave, Grandma sighed deeply, touching her burned cheek as tears fell from the corners of her eyes.

This was her fate!

Although Grandma and the strange monk’s actions were puzzling, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang didn’t pay them much mind, as neither of them felt any malice from them.

For the next while, one of them was busy distributing porridge, and the other helped Prefect Magistrate Guo with his work, so the matter was forgotten.

When the disaster situation in Xingyun Prefecture improved, and the distribution of porridge at the city gate was no longer necessary, Daohua finally remembered the two of them.

“I wonder if Grandma’s health has improved? After I finish packing up the porridge equipment, I’ll drop by to check on them.”

Xiao Yeyang, who was helping her, heard this and thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll go with you.”

Daohua turned to look at him. “Why do you want to go?”

Xiao Yeyang hesitated for a moment. “That old lady seems pitiful. I want to check on her.” He still remembered the sadness in her eyes when she looked at him earlier, and it made him feel uneasy.

Daohua didn’t mind, quickly packed up, and after informing Dong Yuanyao, she set off with Wang Man’er and Xiao Yeyang to the pharmacy.

When they arrived, the shopkeeper informed them that Grandma and the strange monk had left a few days ago.

Daohua was taken aback. “They left just like that? Did Grandma get out of bed?” Although she didn’t know the specifics of Grandma’s health, she could tell the old woman was very weak, and it seemed unlikely she’d be up and walking again in just a couple of days.

The shopkeeper shook his head. “Master Gu rented an ox cart and took Grandma away.”

Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brow. “They left in such a hurry. Is something wrong?”

The shopkeeper smiled and replied, “Don’t worry. From what I can see, Master Gu is a very capable person. He’s helped a lot of people during his time here.”

He continued, “Although Grandma’s health hasn’t fully recovered, she’s doing much better. She can’t walk for long periods, but she can still move around occasionally.”

“Oh, and before they left, Master Gu left two items for me to give to you.”

Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged a curious glance before they looked at the shopkeeper.

Soon, the shopkeeper returned with two items, both tightly wrapped in sheepskin. “This one with the red string is for Miss Yan, and the one with the blue string is for His Highness.”

Daohua took the package and shook it lightly. “Could this be a book?”

Neither of them opened the packages immediately. After bidding the shopkeeper farewell, they got into the carriage.

Once inside, Daohua quickly unwrapped the sheepskin, revealing a book. “It’s a medical book!”

Daohua flipped through it quickly, her eyes lighting up.

The book contained various medical formulas, and even recipes for making poisons.

Seeing her so excited, Xiao Yeyang chuckled. “It’s just a medical book. Why are you so happy about it?”

Daohua replied, “You have no idea. The strange monk is very skilled in medicine. If I can learn just a little from it, it’ll benefit me for life.” Of course, what made her most excited wasn’t the book itself, but that she would now have a source to refer to if she ever needed a prescription in the future.

“Quick, see what yours is!”

Xiao Yeyang nodded and quickly unwrapped the sheepskin. His face lit up with excitement.

It was a martial arts manual—a high-level one at that.

Daohua glanced at the medical book in her hands, then at the martial arts manual in Xiao Yeyang’s. “The strange monk and Grandma are definitely not ordinary people.”

After a brief pause, she remarked, “It makes sense that the strange monk gave me a medical book, since I saved their lives. But what’s with him giving you a martial arts manual after meeting you only two or three times?”

Xiao Yeyang was momentarily stunned, then said, “Maybe my father really helped them in the past.”

Daohua fell silent for a moment before nodding. “Either way, it doesn’t seem like they have a grudge.”

(End of Chapter)