Before long, Gu Youyou saw Lin Qianqing helping the elderly Madam Lin into her room.
A wave of heat rushed at them, and the old lady nodded in approval, "Indeed, it’s very warm."
"Grandmother, cousin, why have you come so late?"
Gu Youyou hurried out from the bedroom.
Lin Qianqing said, "Grandmother heard that you fell ill during the day and was worried about you, insisting on coming to see you."
"Yes, Youyou, are you feeling any better?" the old lady asked.
Gu Youyou smiled and twirled around, saying, "All better now, I’ve worried grandmother."
"That’s good to hear," the old lady said. "Your illness lasts for ten years once it strikes. It hasn’t been that long since you’ve recovered. We were negligent, we shouldn’t have let you go worship the Dragon Mother. In such cold weather, kneeling and bowing for four hours, even a healthy person might not withstand it, let alone you with your frail health."
Gu Youyou, behaving dutifully, supported the other arm of the old lady and led her to the inner room, saying, "Worshipping the Dragon Mother is also to pray for the removal of sickness and disasters. I’ve been ill for so long, perhaps after worshipping the Dragon Mother, it just happened to get better."
The old lady suddenly stopped and her expression fell.
Gu Youyou saw Lin Qianqing on the other side making faces at her.
She didn’t understand what she had said wrong to upset the grandmother.
Only to hear the old lady speak sternly, "You are a doctor, you should know that seeking gods and worshipping Buddha to eliminate diseases is useless, superstitious."
She stretched out a finger and pointed at Gu Youyou’s forehead, leaving Youyou staring at her, dumbfounded.
She thought to herself: Grandmother is indeed different. Aren’t old ladies of this age supposed to be the most superstitious? Look at the Empress Dowager in the palace, she can’t even walk, but she still has people carry her to worship the Dragon Mother. But grandmother, she doesn’t believe these things at all, not... superstitious?
Gu Youyou forced a chuckle, "Grandmother is right, it’s Youyou who is too superstitious."
After helping the old lady sit down, she asked sternly, "Youyou, what exactly is wrong with your illness? Every time I try to inquire, your uncle always dissuades me, saying it’s for your own good, and for the good of the Lin Family."
Gu Youyou paused for a moment, looking at the old lady.
At over fifty years old, women of this era were considered very old, as most people lived only to that age.
Her temples were gray, her face was lined with wrinkles, yet her eyes were astonishingly bright, not murky like those of most elderly people.
She figured that grandmother must have guessed something, but now she was no longer young and probably couldn’t manage too much.
She understood her uncle’s intentions, the implications were vast. Talking about it wouldn’t help, and would only cause her to worry. Since her uncle didn’t tell the old lady, Gu Youyou naturally had no intention of telling her either.
In her view, the elderly cannot withstand such shocks. If she knew what Youyou had gone through, any serious upset could lead to trouble, just like what happened with Gu Feng.
She smiled and said, "Grandmother, don’t worry about it, I’m already better. It was just too cold today. I’ll be more cautious in the future and won’t fall ill again."
"Ah, every one of you is the same," the old lady sighed. "Alright, I won’t ask, but if you need anything, you must tell me. As for your medicine shed... Ah, well, just keep it maintained for now."
Gu Youyou sat to the side, looking at the large fireplace in the room.
A stove about half a person tall, with a big fire burning inside. This stove was also smokeless by design, and with it, the room stayed warmer than others.