It wasn't until Jiang Beichen called her and told her about Shu Yi'an that she agreed to return to public life.
"Girl, you must have suffered a lot from this illness back then." Jiang Yitong gently touched the slightly protruding kneecap and sighed.
Shu Yi'an didn't expect Jiang Yitong to ask that, but she still answered honestly. "It will be a little difficult to start walking during rehabilitation."
Jiang Yitong gazed at Shu Yi'an's fair face and quietly sighed. It wasn't just a little difficult; she could feel it when she placed her hand on Shu Yi'an's knee—the girl's injuries back then were definitely severe. The fact that she could act like a normal person now showed the immense effort she had put in. Especially at her age, the fact that she could recall such a horrific event without a trace of pain, instead so calmly moving on from that period, made even the seasoned Jiang Yitong, who had seen countless people and experienced both glory and hardship, praise her remarkable character.
In fact, Shu Yi'an also wanted to say that it was not just difficult. For her, those days were worse than death.
On the second day of her hospitalization in Beijing, Shu Yi'an's maternal grandfather, Shu Xuehong, rushed over from his home in Yangzhou. The over-seventy-year-old man looked at his granddaughter with heartache. At only eighteen years old, she lay so listlessly in the hospital bed, her eyes devoid of any light, as if she were about to end her life at any moment.
It is said that the pain of a parent outliving their child is the most tragic thing in the world, but in the eyes of Shu Xuehong, who is over seventy years old, the person who suffers the most after losing her son and daughter-in-law should be Shu Yi'an.
The elderly man, enduring immense grief, spent his days chatting with Shu Yi'an and planned to bring her back to Yangzhou for recuperation. During that time, he also arranged the funerals of his son and daughter, buried the couple in Yangzhou, and contacted a good rehabilitation center to help Shu Yi'an regain her ability to walk.
Shu Yi'an lay in her grandfather's house all day, neither speaking nor shedding tears, nor seeking treatment. She just stared blankly at the willow trees and pond in the yard.
Grandpa Shu, perhaps finally unable to bear it any longer, chose a rainy day to visit Shu Yi'an's room. In just a few days, the old man seemed to have suddenly lost his former vigor, becoming frail and weak. He reached out and touched his granddaughter's face, his expression loving yet stern. "You're a girl. The worst thing a girl can do is give up on herself. 'A thousand trials and tribulations cannot break your spirit; let the winds blow from east, west, north, or south.' Shu Yi'an, have some backbone."
“A person will experience many hardships in their life. I am seventy-three years old and I still experienced the pain of losing my son. You are only eighteen years old. What can't you bear?”
“You are the last bloodline of the Shu family, Yi’an… Grandpa is getting old, you have to leave Grandpa with something to remember him by, don’t you? If you continue to be so depressed, how will I have the face to face your parents on the day I die…”
Shu Xuehong's words struck Shu Yi'an like a hammer blow, and the girl, who hadn't spoken for several days, suddenly hugged the old woman and burst into tears.
The next day, Shu Yi'an went to the rehabilitation center in a wheelchair and stayed there for two whole months. Every time she fell to the ground in pain, she would remember what her grandfather had told her. She forced herself to stand up and walk. She was afraid that her deceased parents would worry about her and not have peace of mind. She was even more afraid that her elderly grandfather would suffer greater disappointment.
Looking at the other disabled people in the rehabilitation center, Shu Yi'an felt an unprecedented surge of courage to live. Her feet were covered in blisters, and her back ached terribly when she lay in bed at night. All of this, in countless unavoidable nights, Shu Yi'an attributed to the price of growing up.
Thinking back on the past, Shu Yi'an felt a pang of sadness. Jiang Yitong didn't ask any more questions and directly explained the illness to Chu Mu. "It's impossible for her to return to normal, after all, the damage is still quite severe. We can use medicine to apply for now, to help her recover and try to alleviate the pain so she can do some light exercise."
Chu Mu looked at the thin and frail Shu Yi'an and went over to help her lower her rolled-up trouser legs. "Sure, whatever you say." As long as she feels better, that's all that matters.
Shu Yi'an never expected that Chu Mu brought her here to check on the injury on her knee. When she saw him bending down to help her straighten her clothes, she was suddenly filled with gratitude.
Jiang Yitong handed Chu Mu several packets of medicinal herbs wrapped in kraft paper. "The prescription is inside. If you run out of herbs, you can get them from a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy in the city. Steam the herbs in the dark paper, mash them, and apply them to your knees. Boil the herbs in the light paper and drink them. Do both after dinner every day. You should see improvement in about a month."
Chu Mu accepted the gift, thanked Jiang Yitong, and got up to leave. "Then we'll head back first. The purple jade jar you liked from America last time has arrived, so I'll have Beichen bring it to you."
Jiang Yitong patted Chu Mu with a hint of affection, "You're more likable than that Jiang Bulin!" Turning to look at Shu Yi'an, who was admiring the flowers by the celadon, Jiang Yitong pulled Chu Mu aside and whispered, "I've watched all four of you grow up. You're the smartest and most stable one among you. Treat your wife well; she's suffered a lot."
Chu Mu followed Jiang Yitong's gaze and saw a soft, slender figure whose beauty was beyond words. He smiled faintly at Jiang Yitong and said, "Don't worry."
Jiang Yitong snorted twice in annoyance, "Anyway, I've said my piece. Don't end up like Jiang Beichen, whose wife got pregnant and he regretted it later."
The two said goodbye to Jiang Yitong and descended the mountain together. Shu Yi'an looked at Chu Mu with a smile, her eyes filled with pink hearts.
Chu Mu habitually stroked her hair, "What are you laughing at? I told you you're not going to get better and you're still laughing, are you out of your mind?"
Shu Yi'an playfully pried open Chu Mu's fingers, holding his hand. "If I never get better, will you still want me as your wife?"
Chu Mu seemed to seriously consider it for a moment, then said, "Yes."
"I would be at a huge disadvantage if you took half of my assets in our second marriage."
"Hey!" Miss Shu exploded, "If you want to remarry, I won't just take half of your assets! I'll take everything! Everything!"
Chu Mu smiled good-naturedly, "It's really not easy for you to finally have the idea of taking over all my property. Should I express my trepidation?"
Shu Yi'an couldn't argue with him, so she tilted her head back and hesitated for a long time before finally managing to utter a sentence. That sentence made Chu Mu realize, long afterward, how lowly Shu Yi'an had placed herself in this marriage.
"Even if you don't want me anymore, I won't take a single penny from you... Chu Mu... I should have told you about my knee problem sooner. If you had known, maybe..."
"Hmm..."
Chu Mu pulled her close and forcefully kissed her, silencing her as she continued to belittle herself. He knew what she was going to say.
Shu Yi'an accepted his sudden kiss without resistance, letting him pinch the back of her head. Chu Mu could even feel her cautious response.
As the kiss grew increasingly passionate, Chu Mu reluctantly withdrew, biting the tip of her tongue, his breathing heavy.
“It was my fault for not asking clearly back then. I didn’t know you were in that car accident, but no matter what happens to you, I will take care of you for the rest of my life.”
Since I let you marry me in the first place, I won't let you bear any risk in this marriage.
Shu Yi'an blushed and nudged Chu Mu's shoulder, "Alright, I'll trust you this once."
Author's Note: Ugh, it's so sweet it's sickening... I wrote 20,000 words this week just to get on the charts, I'm exhausted...
There are fewer words today, but the next chapter will be even more exciting!
Chapter 29 Slow down
Watching the bubbling and churning herbal soup in the clay pot, Miss Shu silently swallowed, feeling a little apprehensive.
Chu Mu emerged from the first-floor bathroom, shirtless and holding a dry towel, standing in the doorway drying his hair. He noticed Shu Yi'an's silent figure in the kitchen and looked puzzled. "Why aren't you drinking?"
Shu Yi'an stretched out her index finger and drew lines on the rim of the bowl, humming as she did so without moving.
He draped a slightly damp towel over Shu Yi'an's head, then put his arm around her waist from behind and peeked out to look at the medicine in the casserole. Upon seeing it, he was puzzled as well, "Green?"
Shu Yi'an nodded sadly, leaning back slightly. Her small face was full of pleading. "Do you really want to drink it?"
The person being pleaded with lowered their eyes and thought for a while. Finally, they spoke, "You can leave now."
Shu Yi'an visibly relaxed and ran happily to the living room, thinking that Chu Mu had agreed. She replied in a very obsequious manner, "Okay, okay, I'll go cut some fruit for you, alright?"
Chu Mu picked up the spoon that was placed aside and added leisurely, "If I keep looking at you like this, you'll probably be even less willing to drink it. Wait for me on the sofa, and I'll bring it out for you when it's ready."