radiothebook Chapter 338 - 336: She Pretends to Faint and Throws a Tantrum, I Bring Out the Matches: Country Remedy—Burning the Soles Cures All Ailments!
Chapter 338 - 336: She Pretends to Faint and Throws a Tantrum, I Bring Out the Matches: Country Remedy—Burning the Soles Cures All Ailments!
Wang Guixiang lay on the cold cement floor, her eyes tightly shut, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.
The room remained still.
Gu Zhen Guo sat on the chair, his face ashen, not even glancing at Wang Guixiang on the ground. Qin Jian Country and Qin Jianjun, father and son, one rubbed his hands anxiously, the other puckered his lips indifferently, neither considering helping.
The chill of the cement floor seeped through the thin fabric into the bones.
"Cough."
A gentle cough broke the impasse.
Lin Wan Yi picked up the enamel cup on the table, pouring herself half a cup of warm water. The jade bracelet on her wrist glimmered like a spring pool under the light.
She blew the steam from the surface, looking at Qin Jian Country with appropriate concern in her voice: "Uncle, what’s wrong with Aunt? Collapsing suddenly, could it be an acute illness?"
Qin Jian Country stammered: "She... she’s angered by you! She has an old heartache problem!"
"Oh? Heartache?" Lin Wan Yi put down the cup and stood up, "This isn’t a small matter. Coincidentally, I learned some emergency techniques for sudden fainting from Professor Wang at our college a few days ago."
As she spoke, she walked to Wang Guixiang’s side, squatting down.
"Professor Wang said that pinching the philtrum works best in such cases." Lin Wan Yi extended her right hand, her thumb and forefinger spread, poised to exert force. She gestured towards Wang Guixiang on the ground, then, with some embarrassment, smiled at Qin Jian Country.
"It’s just... you know, I’ve never done much heavy work, so I can’t control the strength well. If I pinch too hard and break Aunt’s lip, or leave a mark, that wouldn’t be good."
Wang Guixiang’s tightly shut eyelids quivered.
Pinch the philtrum? With full force?
Qin Jian Country looked at Lin Wan Yi’s slender, fair thumb, nails neatly trimmed, and her emotionless words sent a chill down his spine.
"That’s... not good, right?"
"It’s fine," Lin Wan Yi was resolute, "Saving people is paramount. Uncle, rest assured, even if something happens, it’s for saving lives, surely Aunt and you won’t blame me, right?"
As she spoke, her thumb truly pressed towards the space below Wang Guixiang’s nose.
Just as her fingertip was about to touch the skin, Qin Jianjun, the idle young man, suddenly spoke impatiently: "Alright, alright, my mom’s fine, give her a moment, no need for your fake kindness!"
Lin Wan Yi’s motion stopped mid-air.
She looked up at Qin Jianjun, surprised: "I see. But lying on the cold floor, if she catches a chill and triggers the old problem, that’d be troubling."
She stood up, dusted her hands unnecessarily, and suggested a new idea.
"There’s an old remedy in our countryside." Her voice was quiet yet clear to everyone, "They say if someone truly faints, burning the soles with a match ensures a quick wake-up. If pretending, it would scorch unbearably."
She glanced around as if searching for something: "Where’s the match kept at home? Yanshen, have you seen it?"
Gu Yanshen leaned on the kitchen door frame, seemingly an outsider. Hearing his wife’s question, he finally moved—he didn’t answer, just turned into the kitchen.
A moment later, he emerged, a brand new box of matches in hand.
He walked to Lin Wan Yi, handing over the matchbox as casually as serving water.
"Click."
Lin Wan Yi took the matchbox, weighing it in her hand.
Wang Guixiang, lying on the floor, stiffened.
Qin Jianjun’s expression changed. He looked at the match in Lin Wan Yi’s hand, then at his mom’s feet, clad in worn cotton shoes, sticking out from the pants, finally losing composure.
"You... you dare!"
"Why wouldn’t I dare?" Lin Wan Yi opened the matchbox, drew a matchstick, slowly twirling it between fingers, "It’s a life-saving method, not harm. What, Cousin, are you afraid Aunt won’t wake, or wakes too quickly?"
This question struck to the heart.
Qin Jian Country, flustered and drenched in sweat, wanted to pull Lin Wan Yi back yet feared approaching Gu Yanshen.
At this stalemate, Qin Jianjun darted over, grabbed Wang Guixiang’s arm with force: "Mom! Stop pretending! Get up! Aren’t you ashamed!"
With his tug, Wang Guixiang couldn’t stay on the ground, clambering up half-heartedly. Her face showed no illness, only the anger and spite of being exposed.
"You rascal! I’ve raised you in vain!" She slapped Qin Jianjun’s back and, dissatisfied, redirected all her wrath towards Lin Wan Yi.
But before she could speak, Gu Yanshen interjected.
"The military district general hospital has explicit regulations."
All eyes turned to him.
He looked at the Qin family trio, perceiving them as lifeless.
"Any deceitful actions, false reporting or exaggerating illness to exploit national medical resources, or using such means to provoke trouble, upon investigation, the hospital’s security department reserves the right to formally notify the concerned party’s commune, team, and workplace in writing."
His voice was steady, articulation clear, every word a nail piercing Qin Jian Country’s heart.
"The notification will detail the event’s cause, process, and outcome, recorded as a personal blemish in the family archive."
Family archive!
These words, like a bolt from the blue, petrified Qin Jian Country and Wang Guixiang.
In these times, they understood fully the weight of an archive—the lifelong consequence! Once etched as such, the children’s military service, education, employment—all adversely impacted!
Qin Jian Country’s once flushed face turned ashen.
Wang Guixiang gaped, unable to produce a sound.
"Let’s leave! Now!" Qin Jian Country, realizing, tugged Wang Guixiang’s arm to exit. He couldn’t bear staying at the Gu Family any longer.
However, Wang Guixiang, like a cat whose tail was tread upon, exploded furiously.
She shook off Qin Jian Country’s hand, today’s efforts wasted with no money demanded, reputation lost, and the threat of the archives, she couldn’t swallow this!
Accumulated grudge and humiliation of the night erupted at once.
Wang Guixiang suddenly turned, advancing a finger near Lin Wan Yi’s nose to curse:
"Oh Lin Wan Yi! You city vixen! Climbing high, you look down on poor relatives like us!"