Chapter 7: Herbal Soup

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

After a month of recuperation, Mrs. Lan’s illness finally got better and her complexion looked much rosier than before.

Lan Anran held a bowl of soup. She scooped a spoonful carefully, blew on it, and when it wasn’t too hot, she fed her mother.

“Anran, what is this? It’s so delicious.”

Mrs. Lan took a sip and smiled brightly.

In the past month, Lan Anran had been making different types of soup for her every day and they were always sweet and delicious. Mrs. Lan enjoyed it very much.

“Mom, this is a calming soup I made, have some more.”

Lan Anran smiled faintly, then scooped another spoonful.

“Sis, you’re the best.”

Lan Yanran stared at Lan Anran brightly and smiled.

In his eyes, everything his sister did was beautiful.

Every move was lady-like, making it hard to imagine that she was from the countryside.

“Of course, Anran is my daughter after all. I’m full of strength now.”

“Honey, you’ve recovered so quickly. Previously, even the doctor was at a loss.”

Lan Tingyun was slightly confused. Previously, his Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital had tried everything, but nothing had worked and they ended up transferring her to another hospital.

He originally thought there was no more hope.

Surprisingly, her illness miraculously improved.

“It’s because of Anran… I got better after seeing her.”

Mrs. Lan looked at Lan Anran with joy and smiled.

Lan Anran smiled faintly, looking down at the bowl of soup in her hand thoughtfully.

The soup consisted of her newly-developed medicine and the essence of herbs dug from the countryside. She had been experimenting, but didn’t expect it to be effective on her mother’s illness.

However, if she wanted to completely cure her mother’s illness, she would still need one more herb, fennel. The herb was said to grow in extremely harsh environments every ten years. It’s medical properties were very effective even though it couldn’t cure everything.

It wouldn’t have any problem in keeping her mother healthy.

Fennel wasn’t available on the market, so she could only take a risk with the black market.

She wasn’t worried about the price, as she was willing to pay any price for something so good.

“The doctor said that she can be discharged if there aren’t any problems today,” Lan Tingyun said with joy.

“That’s great. I have wanted to go home for a while now. I’ve had enough of this hospital.”

Mrs. Lan happily drank the rest of the herbal soup.

After Mrs. Lan was discharged from the hospital, Lan Tingyun was busy dealing with the Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital and surgeries everyday, constantly running about.

Lan Yanran was busy with school. After failing the last time, he was ridiculed by his classmates again, and now, he didn’t dare to walk with his head up high.

Lan Anran was the only one who accompanied Mrs. Lan and when she was free, she would return to the countryside to tend to her herbs and reagents. She had no intention of dealing with Old Mrs. Lan.

She didn’t really want to see that old woman.

On this day, Lan Anran was accompanying her mother at home, serving her herbal soup. Just then, the house phone rang.

It turned out to be a call from Old Mrs. Lan’s nanny, wanting Lan Anran to come over immediately.

Lan Yanran pouted, appearing very reluctant. Lan Tingyun felt that Old Mrs. Lan must really miss her grandchildren, hence, he forcefully brought them over.

Lan Tingyun’s family stood at the door of the house. They knocked for a long time, but no one opened the door.

“She is clearly making a fool of us. Why would Grandmother miss me? She is obviously trying to intimidate us,” Lan Yanran said with dissatisfaction.

“Yanran, what are you talking about?”

Lan Tingyun reproached him as it was very rude for children to speak of elders in such a manner.

Lan Yanran immediately kept quiet.

At this moment, the door finally opened. Old Mrs. Lan’s nanny, Madam Wang, spoke respectfully, “Old Mrs. Lan was sleeping, but she is awake now. Please come in.”

Lan Tingyun thanked her and walked into the hall with his family.

Old Mrs. Lan, Zhao Xiumei, was sitting in the middle of the lobby, looking at them with a serious expression.

“What rare visitors. It took a great deal to arrange a visit… I guess I’m not very important,” Zhao Xiumei said harshly.

Lan Yanran slumped his head and did not dare to look up at Zhao Xiumei. In front of Zhao Xiumei, he was very humble, but inside, he couldn’t accept it at all.

Although Lan Yanran was dissatisfied, he didn’t say anything. He never dared to voice out his anger.

Zhao Xiumei saw Lan Anran at one glance. She looked at her briefly and didn’t think much of her. She couldn’t compare to her granddaughter Lan Yaxin at all.

Zhao Xiumei recalled the disasters brought onto the Lan Family and the suffering she suffered during the years after Lan Anran was born, making the resentment in her heart intensify.

“That’s not true Mom, didn’t I visit a month ago?”

Zhao Xiumei glanced at the embarrassed Lan Tingyun again and grew even more furious.

He produced a grandson for the Lan Family, which was joyous news for everyone, but this grandson didn’t do well, and was an embarrassment when he entered the world. The Lan Family didn’t have good genes, producing a mentally challenged grandson and a granddaughter that jinxed her husband. They made her a laughingstock for many years.

Zhao Xiumei finally spoke out in anger, “Introduce us, who is this quiet pole-looking girl?”

She squinted at Lan Anran with a look of contempt.

Lan Tingyun’s mother’s contemptuous tone made him feel a little uncomfortable. His precious daughter had been in the countryside for 20 years and now that she was back, they couldn’t wait to pamper her, but yet, she was mocked by his mother. He wasn’t very pleased.

Lan Anran wasn’t affected. She smiled and looked at Zhao Xiumei who was seated directly in front of her. Two dimples appeared on her cheeks and she spoke with a solemn expression, “Grandmother, I am Anran. I heard that Grandfather passed away a few years ago. It’s a pity I couldn’t see him one last time, but Grandmother, don’t be sad, Grandfather is accompanying us at all times and might even be watching us right now.”

Lan Anran spoke extremely softly, with a slightly sorrowful tone and tears welling in her big watery eyes.

Old Master Lan died of illness a few years ago and Zhao Xiumei had been in poor health because of his passing. She had only just recovered from the illness and had some life left in her face.

When Lan Anran mentioned this, Zhao Xiumei’s expression suddenly changed and she was once again reminded of Old Master Lan’s death.

Was she deliberately reminding her that she had become a widow?