"Once Uncle makes it, Grandpa will see what it's for." Yang Mengchen walked out of the kitchen with a bright smile, "Dinner is ready."
Yang Chaoyi reached out to help his older brother, "Let's eat first, then we'll make the chair together with Brother." But halfway there, his hands suddenly froze. Ever since the incident, big brother had been eating alone in his room, would he be willing to eat with the family?
The others looked at Yang Chaowen nervously yet hopefully.
Taking the initiative, Yang Chaowen lifted his arms with a laugh, "Help me to the main room. Tonight, Jiujiu made bamboo shoots with braised roe deer, and I've been drooling over it for a while now."
"Jiujiu's cooking skills are even better than the chefs in the town's restaurants, big brother should eat a lot later." Yang Chaoyi and Yang Chaowu were happy to help their big brother towards the main room.
Yang Chengrong and the other brothers ran ahead to the main room to prepare a high stool, spreading a thin blanket over it.
Next to her, Wu Xuehua clutched her niece's hand, her eyes tearful with gratitude, "Jiujiu, your aunt really doesn't know how to thank you enough."
"Aunt, we are family," Yang Mengchen said with a playful face.
Madam Yang Zhou spoke with relief, "Jiujiu is right, there's no need for formalities among family. Now that Chaowen has opened up and is getting back on his feet, Chengrong and Chengxuan have grown up too; you won't have to work so hard anymore."
Wu Xuehua nodded tearfully again and again.
Liu Xiuyun and Shen Qiulan were also very relieved: kind in-laws, loving spouses, obedient children, and harmonious relationships between sisters-in-law; marrying into the Yang family was their fortune.
The whole family worked together and finished the chair in just two days.
"Jiumei, what are you going to use this chair for?" Yang Chengbin asked in confusion, while the others also looked at Yang Mengchen curiously.
"This is for Uncle," Yang Mengchen said as she brought out a thin blanket from the house to pad the chair, then directed her father and second uncle to help Uncle sit on it, "This is a wheelchair, and with it, Uncle can go wherever he wants."
While explaining, Yang Mengchen placed Uncle's hands on the handles on either side of the wheelchair and carefully taught him how to operate it. Wheelchairs in her previous life were pushed with both hands, but she had added handles to this one, saving effort and adding convenience, "Uncle, give it a try."
"So this is called a wheelchair," everyone suddenly understood.
Encouraged by his niece and the expectant gazes of the family, Yang Chaowen tried pushing the handle on the right forward and saw the wheelchair, along with him, slowly start moving forward. When he pushed the handle to the right, the wheels turned to the right, and the chair moved in that direction; it was the same when he moved it left, backward, and when he stopped pushing the handle, the wheelchair stopped moving completely. No matter what, it wouldn't budge. Pushing the left handle, he found that the speed of the wheelchair could vary. The fact that it could also be folded and put away brought him immense joy.
"Jiujiu, thank you!" Yang Chaowen said, his eyes brimming with grateful tears.
If not for his niece's blunt intervention, he wouldn't have been able to break free from his state of confusion and revive his spirits; if not for his niece's clever ideas, he would have remained hidden away and missed the joyful smiles on his family's faces and the warmth of the sunny sky.
The family was relieved and overjoyed, and Yang Chengbin kept saying how Jiumei seemed to be able to do anything.
"If Uncle really wants to thank me, then take good care of yourself. There's still a lot of furniture missing in the house; you should start by making new furniture," Yang Mengchen said, her eyes twinkling merrily. With work to do, Uncle wouldn't feel like a burden anymore.
Yang Chaowen nodded in agreement, "Whatever style Jiujiu likes, I will do my best to make it."
"Great, I'll give you the patterns later, Uncle."
"We'll handle cutting down trees and bringing them back," Yang Chengrong and his seven brothers said in unison.
Everyone else also gave their full support.
Yang Mengchen stepped forward, taking Grandpa Yang's arm, "Grandpa, let's chop off all the thresholds in the house so that Uncle can move around easily."
Before Grandpa Yang could say anything, Yang Chaowu and Yang Chaoyi were already laughing as they went to fetch tools.
"Uncle, let me check your legs," Yang Mengchen squatted in front of Yang Chaowen.
Yang Chaowen didn't ask any questions and simply rolled up his pants. In the countryside, there weren't so many formalities about not exposing oneself in front of women other than one's mother and wife. The main point was that Jiujiu knew medical skills and might have a way to cure his legs. Even if she couldn't, there was no harm in letting Jiujiu have a look.
Seeing the withered and frail legs, everyone couldn't help but look away, feeling a sour sadness in their hearts.
After a careful examination and feeling around, Yang Mengchen took his pulse, then stood up and said to the people eagerly watching, "Although Uncle's injury is quite severe, I am ninety percent confident. For now, Uncle should start taking herbal decoctions for conditioning and do rehabilitation. After some time, I'll give him acupuncture, and within no more than six months, Uncle should be able to walk as freely as anyone."
"Jiujiu, is that really true?" Grandpa Yang asked with a trembling voice, and everyone else was also nervously apprehensive.
Yang Mengchen nodded her head.
Everyone immediately burst into rapturous joy, especially Yang Chaowen, who looked at his niece with wide, excited eyes, his whole body trembling lightly.
"How should we do the rehabilitation?" asked Yang Chengrong, his face eager.
"It's like soaking your feet in hot water before bed every night and then massaging Uncle's legs like this for at least half an hour until they feel warm and swollen," explained Yang Mengchen, demonstrating on Yang Chaowen's legs. "This promotes blood circulation and stimulates the leg meridians, preventing atrophy and weakness."
Yang Chengxuan expressed some confusion, "But the doctors all say to rest completely for one hundred days."
Yang Mengchen smiled, "The doctor's advice isn't wrong, but it depends on the situation. In Uncle's case, as long as the treatment is right, he should start moving appropriately after at most half a month of rest. It actually promotes faster and better recovery. If he just lies down without moving, it will lead to blocked blood vessels and gradual atrophy of the legs."
It turned out that they hadn't understood before, which had caused Yang Chaowen to deteriorate over the years. Fortunately, Jiujiu knew medical skills, giving everyone peace of mind.
Yang Chengrong and Yang Chengxuan exchanged glances, gratitude and determination shining in their eyes.
Not only did Jiujiu give their father renewed confidence to start a new life, but she could also cure his legs. From now on, they would doubly cherish and protect Jiujiu. If anyone dared to hurt Jiujiu even a little bit, they would stop at nothing to make them pay a painful price.
Yang Mengchen suddenly said, "By the way, Grandpa, I'd like to go to town tomorrow."
"Chengrong will accompany Jiujiu, and, by the way, take the embroidered goods Mother has made to the embroidery shop," Wu Xuehua chimed in.
"Chengyou should go too; it's a good opportunity to buy some rice and flour." Grandpa Yang gave Yang Mengchen one hundred wen money. "With the rest, you can buy whatever you want. It's Jiujiu's first time going to town; you must take good care of her." The last sentence was directed at Yang Chengrong and Yang Chengyou.
"Yes," the two brothers responded in unison.
Yang Chengbin and the twins called out in chorus, "We want to go too." Seeing Grandpa agree, the three of them were very happy.
After dinner, the family packed the sorted herbs into hemp bags, and Yang Mengchen handed the finished drawings to Yang Chaowen before washing up and going to bed.