She had been waiting for this opportunity all along…
ICU visiting hours were only thirty minutes long.
Grandma usually had the habit of waking up early to practice her exercises. This sprightly little old lady had always enjoyed robust health and even had a better physique than Shen Jiang.
But Shen Jiang noticed that the muscles in Grandma’s arms and thighs had begun to atrophy—an inevitable result of lying unconscious in bed for over ten days.
Fortunately, the ICU nurses paid close attention to preventing bedsores, and Grandma had not developed any.
Knowing how much Grandma valued cleanliness, Shen Jiang first carefully wiped her face and hands with warm water, then her body, and finally trimmed her overgrown nails.
“Grandma, I’ve found many, many good herbs.”
The person on the bed breathed steadily, showing no reaction at all.
As if imagining how excited and thrilled the little old lady would be, Shen Jiang continued talking to herself, “Well, of course, there’s the wild Cistanche you’ve been thinking about for so long. Ginseng? I don’t think I’ve actually dug any up yet. But that mountain is so vast—maybe tomorrow I’ll dig up a whole pile for you. When you wake up, you can go to the shop and see for yourself.”
“Can’t stand lying down any longer, can you?” Shen Jiang tilted her head and continued her cheerful chat with the person whose eyes remained tightly shut. “How about we make a bet? I bet that this month, you’ll be transferred from here to a regular ward.”
A passing nurse noticed the family member of Bed 17 chattering nonstop and couldn’t resist adding, “The patient might not be able to hear you right now.”
Shen Jiang acted as if she hadn’t heard and went on, “Tell me, why is Musk so hard to find? You can’t buy it here, and it’s not on that mountain either.”
Last night, she had gone to inspect the mountain near Giant Dragon’s Home and hadn’t seen a single living creature—not even the most common little rabbits, let alone musk deer.
For patients with traumatic brain injuries who remain unconscious for a long time, treatment should focus on addressing three key issues: phlegm, blood stasis, and wind. Grandma’s dark complexion and purplish nails were clear signs of blood stasis.
Shen Jiang was convinced that Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction held the most promise for waking Grandma up. This famous formula, created by the renowned Qing Dynasty doctor Wang Qingren, could unblock meridians, open orifices, and promote blood circulation.
And Musk was the best herb for clearing orifices and reviving consciousness.
She had personally witnessed Grandma using this formula to cure a worker who had fallen from a height. That worker had been unconscious for over a year, completely vegetative, and frequently needed phlegm suction. It was Grandma who treated him with a combination of Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction and Ditantang.
They administered one dose per day for over three months, using up all the Musk Grandma had on hand.
Three months later, the man recovered and woke up.
Shen Jiang still remembered—she was fourteen at the time—feeling immensely proud of Grandma for saving such a patient, her heart filled with excitement and admiration. People streamed in and out of the ward: department heads, hospital directors, even reporters rushed to interview them about this miracle.
Back then, how could she have imagined that one day Grandma would need this Musk herself?
In her dreams, she must have also thought of using Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction for Grandma. But why hadn’t Grandma woken up? The answer was obvious—she couldn’t obtain Musk. Decades ago, musk deer went extinct, and the remaining Musk had been driven to astronomical prices. Despite this, it remained a rare commodity, scarcely circulating in the market anymore.
Mocked by netizens as a common ingredient in palace intrigue dramas, it had become one of those priceless herbs in reality that even money couldn’t buy.
The visiting time ended quickly. Reluctantly, Shen Jiang gently stroked Grandma’s hand.
As she approached the ward entrance, a commotion reached her ears.
A sharp, aged female voice was wailing like a ghost or wolf outside, mixed with the faint crying of a young child.
This made the family members who had been about to leave the ward pause in their steps, their weary faces showing irritation.
“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy outside?”
“Could it be a medical disturbance? I heard an old TCM doctor in the city was beaten to death by family members because of a medical disturbance.”
Shen Jiang’s spirits lifted, her slightly slouched back straightening almost instantly. That voice outside was all too familiar to her.
It was the voice of Shan Guosheng’s mother.
She would never forget the video from her dream where Shan Guosheng’s mother played the victim for the public. This deliberately crafted footage would remain lamentable for many years to come.
Sparks seemed to escape from Shen Jiang’s lowered eyes. She clenched her fists, feeling the sting of her nails digging into her palms, yet experiencing an indescribable sense of relief and satisfaction.
She had only provided clues to the police yesterday morning, and just one day later, the Shan family was already making moves – their efficiency was higher than she had expected.
This family wanted to stir up publicity by making a scene, never imagining that this was exactly the opportunity she had been waiting for!
Their intentions coincided to some extent.
Shen Jiang pushed past the family members and peered through the small transparent window on the door to see a crowd gathered in the corridor outside.
Besides an old woman crying and wailing, there was a middle-aged woman holding a little girl with an anxious expression – clearly they were here for her.
Many onlookers had taken out their phones to record, but Shen Jiang noticed that several of them were clearly hired influencers. One male live-streamer she had inquired about yesterday prices first preened for his phone camera before turning the lens toward the old woman and child – he was probably live-streaming.
Hospital security had long since arrived upon hearing the news, but they didn’t dare lay hands on the elderly woman, appearing helpless and restrained.
Well, she wouldn’t need to find people to come document this after all.
Shen Jiang pushed the door open and stepped out first, casting a condescending glance at the old woman throwing a tantrum on the floor, a cold snort escaping her throat.
When the woman holding the child saw Shen Jiang, her eyes noticeably brightened, and she quickly reminded her mother-in-law: “Mom… that’s her, the fair-skinned woman.”
Old Mrs. Shan’s wailing immediately stopped. Her sharp little eyes scanned the crowd before she nimbly strode toward Shen Jiang.
With a thud, the old woman nearly knelt down.
The middle-aged woman, holding her wailing daughter with one arm, used her free hand to pull her mother-in-law up. The muscles on her arm bulged, and she nearly lost her balance.
“Please, give my son a way out,” the old woman cried out to Shen Jiang, her weathered voice carrying obvious sobs that evoked inexplicable pity.
Shen Jiang raised an eyebrow. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were performing in perfect harmony, setting up their stage so quickly.
As more onlookers gathered and she noticed the phones subtly turning toward her, Shen Jiang faced the trio of old, middle-aged, and young with a panicked, bewildered expression: “What are you all doing?!”
The middle-aged woman with chloasma covering her face looked haggard without makeup. She stammered: “You’re the granddaughter of that doctor from Mingxintang, right? My husband accidentally hurt your grandma… I beg you to be merciful and don’t make my husband go to jail!”
The surrounding murmurs instantly grew louder. Many who had already been following the drama immediately realized—damn, they’d unintentionally stumbled upon the hottest ongoing saga, fresh and steaming with updates.
Shen Jiang seemed to have just recognized who they were. Her face cold, she said, “It’s been two weeks since my grandma was harmed. You haven’t shown up once during this time, and now you come asking me to spare your husband? Do you really think that’s possible?”
Then who would give her grandmother justice?
The middle-aged woman was visibly choked by her words, but her mother-in-law, Old Mrs. Shan, reacted swiftly. She immediately broke into loud wails: “We had no choice! My son has been missing all these days. My husband received three critical condition notices—if he weren’t clinging to his last breath hoping to see his son, he’d have been gone long ago. Someone had to stay with him constantly. This is a tragedy! If your grandmother hadn’t prescribed the wrong remedy and ruined his health, our family would still be perfectly fine!”
The old woman’s grievance and fury were so palpable. It truly seemed a pitiful situation—a good family torn apart all because of misplaced trust in Traditional Chinese Medicine and a quack doctor’s harm.
Dozens of condemning gazes shot toward the young, fair-skinned girl from those who knew the truth from following the drama online and could no longer stand the injustice.
“My grandmother is elderly. Your son injured her head, and she’s still lying unconscious in the ICU. You’ve neither apologized nor compensated us, and even now you keep blaming her. I’ve never seen people as shameless as you,” Shen Jiang said.
Her voice remained steady, her tone neither submissive nor overbearing. Her composure was truly captivating.
Yet as soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding discussions grew even louder. Those condemning stares intensified, burning the air around them.
An influencer directly posted her “shameless remarks” online, tagging it with the hot topic “Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Disturbance” to attract traffic to his livestream.
Not only would he get paid, but he’d also gain clout. Coming here had definitely been the right move.
Old Mrs. Shan was so enraged by Shen Jiang’s audacious blame-shifting that she nearly erupted in curses. Fortunately, her daughter-in-law gripped her wrist tightly, stopping her with a warning glance. Remembering the plan they’d discussed beforehand, the old woman took a deep breath and shut her mouth.
“As long as you’re willing to settle, we’ll agree to whatever you say. We’ll cover your grandmother’s medical expenses too. Whatever else you want, just name it. Is that acceptable?” the middle-aged woman said, patting her young daughter’s back to soothe her while wearing a meek, ingratiating expression toward Shen Jiang.
Shen Jiang noticed a flicker of smugness in the woman’s eyes and slowly curved her lips into a smile.
An elderly man finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shouted at Shen Jiang, “How can you still smile? ‘To forgive is divine.’ This widow and her children have already humbled themselves to this extent—can’t you just meet them halfway?”
The influencer who’d secretly filmed Shen Jiang chimed in, “Exactly! The old and the young, already victimized by your grandmother, now have to beg for your forgiveness. What more do you want?Shen Jiang’s expression showed no trace of wavering from these moral crusaders’ accusations. Her demeanor remained unaltered, her slender neck unbent, her thin back straight and tall. Watching their self-righteous outrage, Shen Jiang found the absurd scene even more surreal than the time she’d fallen into the Great Dragon’s cave.
Even Godwin was more reasonable than these people.
“What do you mean by ‘whatever I say goes’?” Shen Jiang sneered. “If that’s the case, then I demand you provide the medicinal dregs that were given to the patient. Do you have them? I want you to prove that it was your medicine that was problematic, not that my Grandma prescribed the wrong formula. Can you do that?”
The middle-aged woman’s face showed astonishment. She hadn’t expected Shen Jiang to make such a demand and was momentarily stunned.