"Yes, Second Young Master." Two servants of the Lu Family responded and imdiately seized Widow Qiu.
Startled and fearful, Widow Qiu tried to beg for rcy, but the servants covered her mouth and dragged her out of the guest room, locking her in the firewood shed.
Da Feng Village is so distance from the town, and even though the Lu Family used a mule cart, it took two hours to fetch the doctor.
Xuanhu Fang refused to do business with the Lu Family, so they sought Doctor Zheng from Xinglin Hall in town.
Doctor Zheng, skilled in dicine, administered acupuncture to Lu Laosan for one hour, ultimately saving his life. However, "His life is saved, but Third Master will have to stay in bed from now on."
"What do you an?" Lu Laoer urgently asked, "What do you an Laosan will have to stay in bed from now on?"
Doctor Zheng said, "Third Master is paralyzed all over."
"Paralyzed!" While Lu Laoer knew that sothing was seriously wrong with Lu Laosan, he couldn’t accept the truth that Lu Laosan was indeed paralyzed, and in a panic, grabbed Doctor Zheng by the collar, "Quick, find a way to save Laosan."
Lu Laosan was only in his thirties, still had half of his life ahead to live well. If he ended up paralyzed, what could be done?
Furthermore, his father had always favored Laosan the most. If he woke up to find out that Laosan was paralyzed, he would probably die of anger.
Seeing Lu Laoer’s fierce expression, Doctor Zheng, aware of the Lu Family’s dominance and fearing reprisal that he might face unbearable consequences, suggested an alternative, "Second Young Master, do not worry. You can go to the county town to invite Doctor Zhou from there. Doctor Zhou’s father was an apprentice to an Imperial Physician. With Doctor Zhou’s intervention, there may be a chance to improve Third Master’s condition."
"Go... go to the county town and find your sister... ask her to invite Doctor Zhou to treat your younger brother... hurry up!" Old Master Lu had just been awakened by an attendant whom Doctor Zheng brought along, and upon hearing this news, nearly fainted again. It was only after sniffing so dicinal herbs from the attendant that he beca alert enough to say this to Lu Laoer.
"Dad, you’re awake." Lu Laoer hurried over to Old Master Lu, "Rest assured, I’ll send soone to find my sister in the county town and ask her to invite Doctor Zhou to treat Laosan."
Turning, he shouted towards the door, "Shuan Da, Shuan Da, quickly harness the cart and go to the county town, let my aunt invite Doctor Zhou, hurry!"
Due to the situation with Lu Laosan, all servants of the Lu Family were waiting in the guest room courtyard, including Shuan Da, who upon hearing Lu Laoer’s words, quickly responded, "Yes, I’ll go right away."
Shuan Da personally harnessed the cart to go to the county town, found Concubine Lu, explained Lu Laosan’s situation, and thanks to Concubine Lu’s connection, Doctor Zhou was invited.
However, after examining Lu Laosan’s condition, Doctor Zhou also had no solutions, saying a similar thing as Doctor Zheng, "It’s fortunate that his life could be saved."
Old Master Lu, hearing this, hunched over and shivered incessantly, unable to even speak, so Lu Laoer asked instead, "Doctor Zhou, is there really no other way? Laosan can’t remain paralyzed."
Doctor Zhou shook his head, "Third Master’s entire body is paralyzed. With my dical skills, I can only enable him to speak. If you want him to recover, you’ll need to find an Imperial Physician in the Capital."
Imperial Physician?
How could the Lu Family possibly afford that?
Doctor Zheng, hearing Doctor Zhou’s words, breathed a sigh of relief. Even Doctor Zhou said so, so the Lu Family couldn’t bla him.
Old Master Lu, hearing that Lu Laosan was completely paralyzed, was so enraged that he fainted again. He had fainted three tis in one day, and if not for Doctor Zhou being there, he would definitely have had a stroke.
Doctor Zhou hurriedly attended to Old Master Lu.
Ms. Wu, standing in the corridor and hearing that Lu Laosan was thoroughly paralyzed, burst into tears, "Why is my fate so harsh? I don’t even have a son and now my man is paralyzed. How am I supposed to live the rest of my life?!"
Ms. Wu, who had been a widow before marrying, had no children initially. After marrying Lu Laosan, she did conceive, but gave birth to two girls without having a son. Now with Lu Laosan paralyzed and turned into an invalid, if she wanted a son for her old age, she would have to divorce and remarry.
Ms. Wu stood in the corridor crying for a while, and then cursed at Lu Laosan, "It serves you right! Now you’re paralyzed, yet that old widow is still jumping around energetically."
After cursing Lu Laosan, she also directed her anger inwards, "Old Master, this is your son’s fault. He has wronged . You better give an explanation, otherwise don’t bla for returning to my maternal ho for help! Do you really think the Wu Family no longer has anyone? My mother isn’t dead yet, and my eldest cousin is an official. With your son burdening like this without giving us Wu Family a proper explanation, I will divorce and leave with my dowry!"
Ms. Wu had enough of Lu Laosan. Originally, she thought of enduring it, hoping to have a son eventually. But this plague-stricken dog Lu Laosan, before even having a son with her, beca paralyzed. What was she keeping him around for?
Ms. Wu, after making stern threats, took her maid and left the guest room courtyard, headed straight ho, packed up her belongings, and returned to her maternal ho with her two daughters.
Old Master Lu asked Lu Laoer to stop her but couldn’t. Ms. Wu spat directly at Lu Laoer and took a mule cart away in a defiant manner.
The affairs of the Lu Family had unfolded throughout the entire day, and the residents of Da Feng Village had been awoken at dawn by various noises from the Lu Mansion and had watched the spectacle all day. Now that it was evening and they saw Ms. Wu returning to her maternal ho with her children, the villagers gathered around the village millstone and started discussing again.
"Tsk tsk tsk, the Lu Family might be ruined this ti. That Ms. Wu is the cousin of the County Governor, and her mother is the County Governor’s own aunt. If Ms. Wu goes back to her maternal ho and files a complaint, what good can co to the Lu Family?"
"Lu Laosan had it coming."
"Is he really paralyzed? Wasn’t it said that he could be healed?"
"Who told you that? Do you know Doctor Zhou from the county town? Doctor Zhou’s father was an apprentice to an Imperial Physician, so Doctor Zhou is essentially the grand-disciple of an Imperial Physician. Even the grand-disciple of an Imperial Physician said it couldn’t be cured, so he’s got to be paralyzed for life."
The villagers of Da Feng Village discussed the gossip about the Lu Family all day by the millstone until nightfall.
In the evening, when a few families gathered at Gu Jinli’s house to count and distribute money, they also ntioned the news of Lu Laosan’s paralysis. Mrs. Chen was delighted and flaunted while saying that Lu Laosan deserved it.
"I heard that Lu Laosan’s wife went back to her maternal ho, and she made severe threats, saying she won’t let the Lu Family off easy. The Lu Family has brought it upon themselves, eting their own end."
"And about that Widow Qiu, I heard she was forced by the Lu Family to leave a fingerprint and sign an indenture. Now she has been sent to the Red Phoenix Building in the county town overnight to receive custors..."
"Da Gui’s wife, shut your mouth." Mrs. Chen, having a good ti talking, was interrupted by Third Grandma. What Red Phoenix Building? Was that sothing to talk about in front of the children?
They smiled sheepishly and shut up, but felt rather thrilled inside. She had been listening to the village won’s gossip about the Lu Family all day. After Ms. Wu left with her children to her maternal ho, Widow Qiu was forcibly signed into an indenture. Just after signing the indenture, she was escorted by the Lu Family servants to the county town, sold to receive clients at the Red Phoenix Building, her life essentially ruined.
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