The child could no longer speak or breathe. His face drained of color before everyone’s eyes. Clearly, the back-slapping only forced the obstruction deeper into his airway and made the situation worse.
Song Zhiwei frowned tightly as she looked around at the crowd surrounding the boy.
Gu Ce’an was striking the child’s back so hard it seemed he might break it, yet the object lodged in his throat refused to come out.
Thoughts flashed rapidly through Song Zhiwei’s mind. If she stepped forward to save him and failed, even if there were only a one percent chance of it, and the child choked to death, she would likely be unable to explain herself. But that hesitation lasted only a few seconds. Her body moved before her mind could finish deliberating.
Pushing through the crowd, Song Zhiwei snatched the child from Gu Ce’an’s hands. Then she wrapped her arms around him from behind, clenched one hand into a fist, and pressed inward and upward below the lower half of his breastbone in quick succession, accurately repeating the motion once, twice, three times.
An anxious look flashed across Gu Ce’an’s face, but he quickly realized what she was doing. He didn’t struggle with her for the child, though he couldn’t help frowning in concern.
The eldest aunt still hadn’t grasped the situation. “What is Wei girl doing? Someone, quickly! Fetch a doctor!”
“Ugh!” A piece of what looked like chicken bone shot out of the boy’s mouth.
The child immediately burst into tears with a loud wail, his breathing weak but restored.
Song Zhiwei stopped moving, only then realizing that she had broken out in a sweat from anxiety. Her hands trembled slightly as she set the child down. After letting Gu Ce’an take him, she returned to the women’s side of the hall.
The flower hall once again filled with noise and commotion. The child was carried away by his family.
Song Zhiwei poured herself a cup of warm water from the teapot and drank it, trying to steady her emotions. In that moment, a mix of feelings surged through her. Yet more than fear or relief, what she felt was excitement.
Since she transmigrated, the original owner’s memories had always guided her actions. She knew that behaving differently from the original Song Zhiwei carried risks. She had repeatedly reminded herself to be cautious and gradually blend into her new surroundings. But when the moment came, she still rushed forward and acted on impulse. And she was immensely excited by her own capability.
It proved that the skills and experience she had painstakingly accumulated through more than thirty years of study and practice in her previous life had not disappeared. They had followed her into this new life. For the first time since arriving in this strange and unfamiliar world, she felt a genuine sense of security.
Once she calmed down, Song Zhiwei realized everyone in the flower hall was watching her.
Seeing that she had recovered herself, her eldest aunt looked at her in surprise. “Wei girl, what exactly did you do just now? Where did you learn that?”
Song Zhiwei stood up and instinctively came up with an explanation. “When my mother was ill, she often choked while eating. Once it was especially serious, just like this. At the time, an old nanny saved my mother in the same way. I learned it from watching her.”
The atmosphere in the flower hall immediately relaxed. The tense situation turned out to be nothing more than a false alarm, the best possible outcome.
“Thank goodness you were here today. If that thing hadn’t come out of his throat, the child would have been in real danger.” Her eldest aunt was clearly relieved.
That child had been born only after the second aunt had nearly lost her life in childbirth. She treasured him like the apple of her eye. Even now, at six, he was still called by his childhood nickname, Xiaozhou. They were afraid that giving him a formal name too early might be more than his fate could bear. If anything had happened to him, the eldest aunt couldn’t even imagine the consequences.
No one had any appetite for food anymore. Even those still hungry stood up with everyone else and left the dishes untouched.
After a while, the summoned doctor examined Xiaozhou and confirmed he was perfectly fine. Only then did everyone truly breathe easy.
Meng Qiyue frowned. Although her younger cousin had been saved, Song Zhiwei had undoubtedly stolen the spotlight, which made Meng Qiyue uncomfortable for no good reason. It was nothing more than a fortunate coincidence, a useful skill she had happened to learn.
As everyone focused on Song Zhiwei, surrounding her and repeatedly asking what had happened, Meng Qiyue felt nothing but irritation.
Although Meng Qiyue appeared indifferent to what Song Zhiwei said that afternoon, it had affected her. Being challenged by someone of such lowly status filled her with an indescribable irritation.
“Cousin Yue, that was truly terrifying just now.” The younger cousin sitting beside her, Gu Chunru, patted her chest. Her nerves still had not settled. Who could have imagined that eating a meal would lead to something like this?
“She really is bold. I never thought she would have such a skill.”
If it had been her, let alone stepping forward to do something, she would tremble even speaking in front of her father.
“It was only by chance that she happened to be there,” Meng Qiyue said with a sneer. “It’s not as though she’ll keep running into situations like this in the future.”
“I’m only afraid she’ll use this matter as an excuse to pester Second Aunt from now on.” As she watched Song Zhiwei pay her respects to Gu Huaishan, Meng Qiyue became even more displeased.
Gu Huaishan’s face was ordinarily cold and stern, yet it had noticeably softened as he nodded at Song Zhiwei.
Fortunately, Song Zhiwei still seemed to understand her place. After explaining herself, she lowered her head and spoke very little. Gu Ce’an watched her for quite some time without her even noticing.
Eventually, as the hall’s liveliness died down and people gradually dispersed, Meng Qiyue glanced at Song Zhiwei again, who sat beside their grandmother. “Let’s see how long you can stay pleased with yourself.”
After the banquet ended, Song Zhiwei remained with her grandmother, helping her remove her hairpins and ornaments, and attending to her as she washed up and soaked her feet.
If Song Zhiwei wanted even a little confidence and a place within the Gu family, Madam Xu was the best patron she could have.
It was the old madam who had spoken up and brought Song Zhiwei here. She was also related to Song Zhiwei’s late mother. Honestly, she was the only person Song Zhiwei could truly rely on. So Song Zhiwei approached her with the same mindset she would use toward an employer, devoting the greatest patience possible to serving her and strengthening their relationship.
The same care could carry very different meanings. Care from a granddaughter was not the same as care from a maid. In Madam Xu’s eyes, family and servants were naturally distinct. Moreover, Song Zhiwei attended to her no worse than any maid could, but with a different kind of warmth.
Drawing on the original owner’s memories and the patients she had encountered while working in a hospital, Song Zhiwei brought up various small medical and health-related topics. Elderly people loved hearing such things, especially advice on strengthening the body, which foods benefited one’s health, and professional-sounding discussions about nourishing the body through diet. She kept chatting until Madam Xu finally retired for the night.
Only then did Song Zhiwei leave the main courtyard, exhausted from head to toe.
Lancao waited for her in the covered corridor, lantern in hand. As soon as she came out, Lancao stepped forward, took her arm, and looked at her mistress with concern.
In this era, a maid’s fate was genuinely tied to her mistress’s. They prospered together and suffered together. Previously, because Song Zhiwei had been unpopular in the residence, servants from other courtyards naturally bullied the maid she had brought with her. And if her mistress were to die, a personal maid like Lancao would almost certainly be sold off.
That was why, when Song Zhiwei had fallen ill before, hovering between life and death for several days, Lancao had stayed awake by her bedside for those same days and nights, practically without rest, watching over her the entire time. Fortunately, Heaven showed mercy. Several times it seemed her mistress would not survive, yet each time she recovered.
Early that morning, Lancao had happily gone around spreading the good news. By noon, she had eagerly accompanied Song Zhiwei to pay her respects. Her only hope was that the masters and elder relatives would see how frail her young lady still was and send over some nourishing tonics.
Who could have expected that, after arriving, Song Zhiwei would stay inside and be occupied for so long? Seeing her pale complexion now, Lancao felt nothing but worry.
“Miss, let’s hurry back. Zhuxiang has already prepared a meal. We’ll have it reheated once we get back, and you should eat something right away.”
Song Zhiwei nodded wearily. “Alright.”