Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 293: Chapter 290: Which Apricot Grove Master?

”Aunt Gu, it’s getting late. If you don’t mind, why don’t you come stay at my place? I imagine you and Mr. Gu haven’t had dinner yet. It wouldn’t take much time for Auntie Li to prepare a meal.”

Even though Huo Sining felt she could have easily extricated herself from the situation at the time, Gu Xu and Mrs. Gu had indeed helped her in a timely manner. Huo Sining was certainly not one to be ungrateful, so she followed up on Tuantuan’s words and extended the invitation.

As she said this, she subconsciously glanced at Gu Xu.

Mrs. Gu did not immediately agree to the offer. Although she did not dislike Huo Sining, she still needed to maintain a certain level of dignity and posture.

Gu Xu, of course, understood his mother’s temperament and spoke up, ”Elder Huang with the leg ailment is also over at Huo Sining’s place. Don’t you know him? It would be a good opportunity to catch up.”

Mrs. Gu frowned, ”The Huang family? Do you mean Huang Chengyi?”

Gu Xu nodded.

The elderly lady was taken aback and looked at Huo Sining with a scrutinizing and inquisitive gaze, ”Why would Huang Chengyi be at your place? Isn’t he someone who, because of his inconvenience with his legs, rarely comes to the south?”

Before Huo Sining could explain, Su Qingqing seized the opportunity, ”Old Granny, you know my grandfather?”

Mrs. Gu was startled, ”You’re Elder Huang’s granddaughter, Hongying’s little girl?”

Surprised, Su Qingqing asked, ”You know about me?”

Mrs. Gu smiled, ”Of course I know. Your grandfather and I are more than just acquaintances; we’re old friends. Back in the day, we were in the same military unit. If it weren’t for your grandfather’s leg issue, we might have worked together our whole lives. By the way, how is your grandfather? What brings him to S City all of a sudden?”

Su Qingqing laughed, looking at Huo Sining, ”It’s all because of her. Since you know my grandfather, you surely know that he has a younger sister, right?”

Mrs. Gu nodded, ”Huang Chengyi did have a sister named Huang Chengxiang, though she has passed away many years ago. What does this have to do with her?”

Pointing at Huo Sining, Su Qingqing said, ”Because Huo Sining is the legitimate granddaughter of our Aunt Chengxiang, but because she was living in her uncle’s house in Bashu, we only recently recognized each other. My grandfather came to S City for her.”

Mrs. Gu was startled. She had originally thought that her son had taken a liking to a girl from an ordinary family, only to discover that this girl had such a connection to the Huang family.

A feeling of surprise mixed with a hint of joy arose in her heart. Although she had told her son that she did not care about the girl’s background, the traditional views on social status were, to some extent, still of significance to her.

Knowing that her son had chosen a much younger girl from a humble background, Mrs. Gu felt a bit of dissatisfaction.

It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted a daughter-in-law of high social status, but in the social circles of the Imperial Capital, those ladies and madams were shallow, valuing family background over personal character and virtues. If they found out that the Gu family had taken a Cinderella as their daughter-in-law, even if they didn’t say anything to her face, they would certainly gossip behind her back.

Mrs. Gu, who loved face, naturally did not want her family to become a laughingstock. Now that she knew the girl was of the Huang bloodline, she was naturally overjoyed. Her gaze towards Huo Sining even gleamed with sharp brightness.

This daughter-in-law has both character and a good background, she’s composed and doesn’t shy away from trouble—what’s there not to be satisfied with?

Huo Sining, however, felt a bit embarrassed under Mrs. Gu’s intense gaze, which was as fiery as a mother-in-law scrutinizing her daughter-in-law, making her uncomfortable all over.

Perhaps realizing that her staring was a bit too direct, Mrs. Gu coughed twice and chuckled, ”Well then, it just so happens that I haven’t seen Elder Huang in a good while, so I’ll go and see him.”

The group returned to the villa in a grand procession, and Huo Sining had already called Auntie Li ahead of time, requesting her to prepare another dinner. Huang Chengyi had also received the news of Mrs. Gu’s visit and was waiting in the courtyard early on.

As the car stopped at the entrance of the villa and everyone stepped out, Master Huang excitedly rose to his feet.

Standing at the doorway of the villa, Mrs. Gu caught sight of Master Huang, energetic and standing on the ground with the help of a walking stick, and was momentarily stunned.

”Old Huang, what is this...”

Mrs. Gu’s eyes widened in surprise, hardly believing what she saw of Huang Chengyi’s legs.

The last time Mrs. Gu visited the Huang Family before the New Year, she distinctly remembered Huang Chengyi’s legs being so thin they were practically skin and bones, with his leg muscles having withered away to the point where he was completely bound to a wheelchair for support.

But now, Huang Chengyi’s leg muscles appeared full and robust, and there he was standing upright on the ground without a wheelchair, able to maintain his posture even though he was still using a walking stick. He looked no different from any ordinary old man.

Seeing Mrs. Gu’s shocked expression, Huang Chengyi felt a surge of pride. He had anticipated this reaction when he heard Mrs. Gu was coming, which is why he purposely stood in the yard—he wanted to give Mrs. Gu quite the surprise.

”How about that, my recovery isn’t too shabby, right?”

Huang Chengyi couldn’t help but take a few more steps in front of Mrs. Gu with the aid of his walking stick. Although he moved with difficulty, this was still incredibly unbelievable to Mrs. Gu.

”Not too shabby? This is... absolutely shocking. You really kept it under wraps, didn’t you? Which Apricot Grove Master did you find to have such a rapid recovery!?”

Mrs. Gu, moved by instinct, rushed over, not bothering with considerations of appropriate distances between men and women, and bent down to feel Master Huang’s legs, making sure they were truly flesh and blood. Disbelief filled her eyes.

Huang Chengyi smiled, his eyes and brows conveying the lightness and pride of someone rejuvenated:

”What Apricot Grove Master has such abilities? The doctors in the Imperial Capital are all quacks, every last one of them spouting nonsense, saying my legs were beyond help, condemning me to so many years in a wheelchair! Just you watch, in a little while when I can ditch the walking stick and walk on my own, I’ll have to go back and make them take a good, hard look!”

Mrs. Gu felt genuinely happy for her old friend from the bottom of her heart, but she was also curious about the master physician who treated Master Huang’s chronic condition of so many years. She racked her brain but couldn’t think of anyone who fit the bill, which made her all the more curious:

”Don’t beat around the bush, who is it? I remember you were still in the Imperial Capital in July. It’s only been half a year, and you’ve recovered this much. The doctor’s skills must be top-notch. Are they from a hereditary family of traditional Chinese medicine, or a Western doctor from Europe or America? You must give us a hint.”

Master Huang, looking back at Huo Sining, shook his head with a mysterious smile, ”Neither.”