Xiao Linshuang blinked her eyes in confusion. That shouldn’t be the case; she had followed her master’s instructions to the letter. It was impossible that there was no effect whatsoever. Moreover, over the past month, she had not only become very proficient in acupuncture and acupoints, but she had also learned a lot of other things following her master, with pulse diagnosis being one of them.
Xiao Linshuang extended her hand and quietly started pulse diagnosis on Jeng Ruyue’s wrist. Although she was not very skilled yet, she had at least grasped some patterns.
In her view, Jeng Ruyue’s pulse, although still very weak, had become more stable and no longer fluctuated between rapid and weak as before. This was clearly a sign of improvement. So why did her master sigh?
Lao Fan, seeing Xiao Linshuang also conducting pulse diagnosis, did not immediately answer Liu Siqi’s question. Instead, he asked her, "What is it, young girl? What do you think?"
Xiao Linshuang furrowed her little brow and spoke the truth honestly, "The pulse has stabilized a lot. I think there has been improvement, and quite a bit of it, at that."
Hearing Xiao Linshuang’s words, Liu Siqi and Jeng Ruyue both trembled with emotion. Improved? Really improved?
Lin Yuan, on the other hand, was hesitant to believe her little sister’s words. After all, she was young and had seen few cases. She wasn’t sure whether what she said was right or wrong.
"Teacher, is what my little sister said correct?" Lin Yuan was almost frantic, and yet Lao Fan still maintained a calm demeanor. And then there was Xia Zheng, still eating, only knowing how to eat!
Lin Yuan snatched the plate of pastries from in front of Xia Zheng and threw it aside in a huff.
Xia Zheng, an innocent bystander, pursed his lips and dared not utter a word, merely looking at Lin Yuan with a plaintive expression, then directing a pleading gaze towards Lao Fan.
Lao Fan rolled his eyes, pretending not to notice someone’s threatening look, stroked his white beard, and scoffed disdainfully at Xiao Linshuang, "Nonsense! Is this what you call improvement? If I personally took action, there would surely be a full tenfold improvement. But you, young girl, are a novice and still always fail to listen to me. Now, look what has happened—only an eighty percent improvement. It’s far from my goal. Humph!"
Xiao Linshuang pouted, feeling wronged, but she didn’t dare to make a sound, for Lao Fan was right. She always drifted off when Lao Fan explained things to her, asking all sorts of irrelevant questions. While some of her questions thrilled him, others annoyed him because they were inconsequential trifles.
Hearing Lao Fan’s words, Xiao Linshuang quickly bowed her head and admitted her error, "Master, I will not be disobedient ever again. Whatever you say, I will do, without any bargaining."
That’s more like it. Lao Fan nodded in satisfaction.
While the two of them chatted animatedly, Liu Siqi and Jeng Ruyue were overwhelmed with emotion. It turned out that Lao Fan’s sigh wasn’t because there had been no improvement, but rather because he was dissatisfied that there hadn’t been a complete recovery. Although they had not fully recovered, the fact that there had been some improvement was already an incredible feat in their eyes.
Liu Siqi wrapped his arms around his wife’s head, so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. Jeng Ruyue thought about the hardships they had both endured over the years, and her insides churned with emotion. Numerous times they had hoped for an improvement, and numerous times they had plummeted from the lofty dreams. The pain they suffered over all those years could probably only be truly understood by those who had experienced it.
Seeing the couple in such a state, Lin Yuan’s nose tingled, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears. She seemed to see Lin Jiaxin and Lady Liu, who had also endured such long and arduous waiting for over half a year before Lin Jiaxin could finally stand again. Lady Liu must have felt the same way back then.
Lin Yuan wiped away her tears, then suddenly felt her small hand enveloped by a familiar and warm large one. This warmth that transmitted from her palm to her heart filled her entire being with strength, an endless power.