Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1192: Chapter 1194: Filial Piety Done Right_1

”You dare!” Elder Jiang Ge glared and shouted, then started coughing again.

Bai Ruozhu, with a worried expression, said, ”Grandpa, if you don’t cooperate with the treatment, even the best doctor can’t cure your cold.”

Jiang Xuexiang, recalling Bai Ruozhu’s instructions, also spoke up, ”Indeed, father, I’ve always said it’s too cold here for you. At your age, your body really can’t withstand it. If your illness keeps recurring, what are we to do?”

The main wife, thinking of the household expenses, turned her eyes and said, ”Old Master is worried about the household expenses, that’s why he’s always so thrifty. In the end, it’s our fault for being unfilial and failing to provide for the whole family.” She even wiped away a tear as she spoke.

Bai Ruozhu secretly sneered in her heart; the main wife was thinking of squeezing Jiang Xuebin and Dou Ning’s families along with being reluctant to spend the money herself.

”Eldest Aunt needn’t worry, we’ll cover the cost for installing floor heating and rebuilding Grandpa’s room; let us perform our filial duties,” Bai Ruozhu said.

Jiang Xuexiang was very grateful to hear this and even wanted to bow to Bai Ruozhu, but Bai Ruozhu immediately signaled to Jiang Yichun to stop their elder brother from bowing.

Elder Jiang Ge, half dead with anger, pointed at Bai Ruozhu and said, ”You wicked woman, you just want to infuriate me to death, don’t you? I’m used to living in this Thatched Cottage; no one can touch it!”

”That’s not going to work. Although the New Year has passed, the late spring cold is enough to bear. If you continue to stay here, your condition is likely to fluctuate for half a year. Do you really have the heart to let your grandchildren worry about you? This place must be torn down, and you can’t stay here anymore. You should temporarily move to the Eldest Uncle’s Yard. How does that sound, Eldest Uncle?” Bai Ruozhu said, turning to Jiang Xuexiang.

”That would be best, that would be best,” agreed Jiang Xuexiang, who thought it made sense. He had often said that the Thatched Cottage was too cold, but the old man was just stubborn and wouldn’t listen.

Elder Jiang Ge’s moustache trembled with fury, and just as he was about to curse, a violent fit of coughing left him unable to speak.

Seeing this, Dou Ning hurriedly said, ”Uncle is so upset he can’t even speak. The idea from Yichun’s family is good, but you can’t defy the elder like that. It’s nice of you to pay for the house repairs, but don’t make it look to outsiders like you’re using money to coerce the elder.”

”Indeed, Ruozhu, you should stop confronting Grandpa. What if you upset him to the point of harm?” also chimed in Jiang Xuebin in a pretentious manner.

Bai Ruozhu spoke calmly, ”I understand the good intentions of both my uncles, but as a doctor, I am very clear about what will happen if Old Master continues to live in such a room. Who doesn’t wish for the elders in their family to live a long and healthy life? If an elder is stubborn, the younger generation should go along with it, but if this stubbornness starts to harm his physical health or even threatens his life, should we still indulge it?”

”This isn’t just scaremongering. You can ask any Imperial Doctor from the Palace and see if living in such a room won’t exacerbate Old Master’s condition. With his age, if this cold persists for half a year, could it not lead to...?” She left the ominous thought unspoken to avoid accusations that she was cursing Elder Jiang Ge’s death, simply trailing off and shaking her head helplessly.

”We don’t have to make repairs to the room, we’re just the younger generation and don’t get a final say in the matters of the Residence. However, all that had to be said has been said. I dare not speak out against anyone who objects, but if something were to happen to Old Master, who would bear the responsibility?” She looked toward Jiang Xuebin and Dou Ning, waiting for their response.

Hearing her words, they both felt somewhat unsettled. Elder Jiang Ge had indeed been sick for too long, barely getting through the winter without constant illness and coughing. Even when he appeared better, the coughing was just less frequent and quieter, but it never really stopped. He had grown much thinner, looked utterly drained, and his eyes had lost their sparkle. Even his back had become hunched.

If Elder Jiang Ge truly couldn’t last another half year, couldn’t they be blamed for it? Jiang Xuebin and Dou Ning exchanged glances, both hesitating.

Elder Jiang Ge still couldn’t stop coughing; his face turned red, and his eyes rolled upward as if he was about to faint. Bai Ruozhu turned her head, grabbed the silver needles, and swiftly administered a few of them. Before the crowd could react, Elder Jiang Ge’s coughing stopped, and his breathing became smooth.

”She wanted to ’anger him to death’, but naturally she couldn’t let him really die from anger. What would be left to make him angry about then?”

”Wow, big sister-in-law’s medical skills are so amazing, Grandpa stopped coughing!” Jiang Yihong exclaimed with a face full of admiration.

Jiang Zhihe knocked on his head and said, ”Big sister-in-law’s medical skills have been praised by the Emperor, and she has even treated the palace ladies. How can it be anything but incredible?”

For a moment, everyone in the room fell silent, not daring to doubt Bai Ruozhu’s words from before anymore.

Once Elder Jiang Ge’s breathing eased, he started to make a fuss again, ”Who dares to dismantle my thatched cottage, I will fight them with my life! I, Jiang Chenxun, have lived a life of frugality, how could I bear the reputation of extravagance in my old age? You might as well force me to death!”

”How does making the room a bit warmer qualify as extravagance? You’re overthinking it. Even if one has lived a life of integrity, it’s not worth joking with your own health,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile, then shouted to Muyu outside, ”Have two men take the Old Master to the great lord’s yard for a temporary stay. The Old Master is still weak, get a carrying stool to take him over.”

Upon hearing this, Muyu immediately responded. But when he asked around, he found that the Jiang Family had no carrying stool. Not alarmed, he told his subordinates, ”If we don’t have a carrying stool, let’s make a human stool. But be sure to carry him steadily, we can’t jostle the Old Master.”

As he spoke, two guards rushed in, inserted their hands, and in a swift motion, they picked up Elder Jiang Ge, steadying him to sit on their arms.

Elder Jiang Ge struggled fiercely, ”What are you doing? Xuexiang, what are you doing, allowing outsiders to bully me like this?”

Jiang Xuexiang went over to help, afraid that Elder Jiang Ge would get hurt, ”Dad, we all want what’s best for you. You can’t endure the cold any longer. Please try to understand our feelings as your descendants.”

Elder Jiang Ge got so angry he started to gasp again, ”Fine, fine, all of you bully an old man like me. Alright, today, if anyone dares to dismantle my thatched cottage, I’ll go to the Palace and submit an Imperial Decree!”

At the mention of ”submitting an Imperial Decree,” everyone was startled, hesitating for a moment. Even Jiang Xuexiang and the Chen Family were worried. For some reason, they all turned to look at Bai Ruozhu and her husband, seemingly aware that only they could decide what to do.

Bai Ruozhu smiled at everyone, ”The old man is just speaking in anger. Which elder would blame their children for respecting them? Alright, don’t delay any further—someone take it down for me. The sooner we rebuild, the sooner the Old Master can return.”

Muyu gave the guards a signal with his eyes, and they immediately whisked Elder Jiang Ge away like the wind. Bai Ruozhu’s men and guards rushed in with a whoosh, following her orders to start dismantling the room.

The thatched cottage was already in a severe state of disrepair; it hardly took any effort from the people to turn it into ruins.

From a distance, Elder Jiang Ge turned his head and saw this scene, finally rolling his eyes back and fainting...