CHAPTER 316: CHAPTER 313: I AM THE MARQUIS MANSION DOWAGER (PART 2)

Anning glared at An Xin: "I know."

Anning knew she was being schemed against as soon as she became conscious.

She had never met the Marquis Mansion Dowager in the Nihility Space, nor did she have much memory of the Old Dowager, what’s more, she didn’t know what the Old Dowager’s wishes were.

Logically speaking, having fought battles half her life, achieving fame and fortune, and blessed with a loving spouse and a house full of children, Sun Anning should have no regrets.

Yet peculiarly, Anning found herself in the body of this Old Madam whose life one might call fulfilled.

She now didn’t know what to do.

She dared not act rashly for fear that she might go against the original body’s wishes with even a slight inadvertence.

"Ningning, what should we do?"

An Xin asked Anning.

"First, let’s recuperate before planning for the future."

Anning answered softly.

After that, she kept struggling to practice cultivation.

Sun Anning’s body was old and burdened with numerous hidden injuries, making cultivation extremely difficult.

Even with Anning’s superior cultivation techniques, it was tough to exert in such an old and weakened body.

Anning figured she needed to use some medicine to first treat the hidden injuries in her body.

Fortunately, her current identity was the most revered existence in this Marquis Mansion; what she wanted, basically no one would oppose.

Anning cultivated for several hours, and when she got up early, she called Ruyue to come in.

Ruyue, fearing that Anning would need someone during the night and also worried about her health, didn’t dare to leave. She slept in the outer room on the floor, and as soon as it was just dawn and heard Anning calling, she quickly got up and went in.

"Old Madam."

Anning smiled and gestured to Ruyue: "You go fetch some paper and pen."

Ruyue went out, and soon brought the four treasures of the study.

After grinding the ink, Anning wrote down some names of medicinal herbs: "Go find the Old Master and have him send the medicine. If we don’t have them at home, look for them outside."

Ruyue waited for Ruyu to come in before she took the prescription and left.

Anning called Ruyu over and asked her to prepare some food in the kitchen.

After having breakfast, Tang Dingguo had already prepared all the medicinal materials.

Anning instructed Ruyue to personally decoct the medicine into a thick soup, and also arranged for a bathtub and hot water, saying she wanted to take a bath.

As soon as she mentioned bathing, it scared all the servants in the house terribly.

Some servant girls turned and ran to call the brothers Tang Dingguo.

The rest knelt down swiftly, filling the room.

"Old Madam, the weather is still very cold, and you have not yet recovered from your serious illness, you absolutely cannot take a bath."

The whole room cried and pleaded, their heads thumping loudly.

Tang Dingguo and Tang Baoguo dashed in with their clothes not properly worn.

Tang Baoguo even lost a shoe.

The brothers knelt down with a thud as soon as they entered and pleaded: "Mother, if there’s something lacking, just tell your sons, we won’t deny you anything, but you must not neglect your health, our father is already gone, we are in deep grief, if, if something happens to you, how can your sons go on living?"

The two brothers cried genuinely, men in their thirties with tears and snot streaming, it pained Anning to watch.

"Enough, I’m not even seriously affected yet and you’re howling as if it’s a funeral."

Anning, annoyed, patted the bed: "I’m not dead yet, stop crying, get up quickly."

The brothers were startled and hurriedly stood up, stammering.

Tang Dingguo leaned forward, "Mother, please bear with it for now; even if you want to bathe, you must wait until after you’re recovered..."

Anning glared at Tang Dingguo, "All of you, do you really want to control your old mother? Let me tell you, from now on, you all have to listen to your old mother. If there’s any more reluctance, beware my cane will show no mercy."

Tang Dingguo, scared like a quail flapping its wings, said, "If it were anything else, your son would not say a word, but now..."

Anning, with frustration in her voice, said, "Am I soaking in a bath? I want to soak in a medicinal bath. When I was young, I once met a Taoist who gave me a prescription for a medicinal bath, claiming that regular soaking would strengthen the body. I never tried it before, but for some reason, I thought of it yesterday and wanted to try it. My body is already like this, if I don’t try, it’s just a matter of a few months anyway. Trying it might even let me live a few more years."

So that was it.

Tang Dingguo sighed in relief.

He thought Anning still harbored a death wish, wishing to wash herself well before dying cleanly.

But it turned out she wanted to take a medicinal bath.

"Then, mother, please take good care of yourself."

Tang Dingguo took a few steps back, then left with Tang Baoguo.

After they left, Anning asked the servant girl to prepare hot water and began the medicinal bath.

When she, assisted by the servant girl’s hand, stepped into the bathtub, it scalded her entire body, making her shiver, and she sat down. Not long after, the effects of the medicine penetrated her body, violently rejuvenating her aged frame.

Anning’s entire meridian system felt as if it were being torn apart, the pain nearly knocking her out.

Every piece of flesh and bone in her body felt as if it were being torn apart and then healed, only to be torn again. The pain was worse than death by a thousand cuts.

Anning gritted her teeth and endured.

This kind of pain, where every part of her body felt like it was being ripped apart, a pain that made her want to die every second, she had experienced it more than once, and was now used to it.

She didn’t utter a sound and stubbornly soaked for half a two-hour period.

When she got out of the bathtub, Anning seemed reborn.

For the following seven days, Anning soaked in the medicinal bath daily.

Although Anning had said there was no need for formal duty, Tang Dingguo and his brother, fearing an accident, still came daily to check on her.

When they saw Anning’s health improving day by day, her complexion growing rosier, and her vitality returning, they were assured, and began to think that the prescription was indeed effective. Just a few days of medicinal baths had made someone look so much younger and stronger.

Now middle-aged, Tang Dingguo and his brother sometimes felt unable to cope and wondered if they should also try soaking.

Once the seven days were up, Tang Dingguo asked Anning, wanting to try that medicinal bath himself.

Fortunately, Anning had some medicine left and seeing Tang Dingguo and Tang Baoguo so interested, she agreed to prepare the medicine for them.

After preparing the medicine, Anning taught them how to cook the medicine and how to take the medicinal bath.

The brothers happily took the medicine and went home.

That evening, Anning heard screams from afar.

The next day, when Tang Dingguo and Tang Baoguo came again, they clearly looked less vibrant.

Tang Dingguo, embarrassed but trying to keep a smile, asked Anning, "Mother, did the medicinal bath also hurt you that much?"

Anning could tell just by looking at the brothers that they must have given up after soaking for only a short while last night.

"Cowards."

Anning scolded, "Even this old woman is better than you."

Tang Baoguo chuckled awkwardly, "Mother, is there a kind of medicine that doesn’t hurt?"

Anning slapped him, "Don’t be greedy. Do you think the medicine that improves your body is easy to come by, and that anyone can endure it? If you can’t endure hardship or pain, how can you expect to strengthen yourself?"

"It’s just that, son really can’t bear it, it’s too painful."

Tang Dingguo’s face was red, somewhat embarrassedly he said, "I really didn’t expect it to be so painful, nor did I expect mother to be so tough, enduring something even more painful than being slowly tortured."

"When I was on the battlefield, I was injured countless times, each time enduring by gritting my teeth. Your father too, once he even had his belly gashed open, yet he tightened his belt and continued to fight. That’s how he fought to give you this Marquis Mansion. If you brothers can’t even bear a little hardship, how can I rest assured?"

Anning sighed deeply, "You can’t endure it, and your sons are even worse, what a pity that such a good prescription is of no use in our family."