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墨書 Inktalez
On the edge of the stove, there was a blue plate filled with steaming radish cakes. It seemed these radish cakes had just been taken out of the pot; although they were not as delicately cut as the ones she made herself, their color and aroma were somewhat better.
"Can I have a taste of that radish cake?"
"Of course, if you like it, I will have A Niu pack some for you when you leave."
"No need! No need! I just noticed that your radish cakes are better than mine, and I want to taste them to see where I might be lacking. Did I forget to add something during the preparation, or was there a mistake somewhere in the process?"
"It's just radish cake; there's no need for you to overthink it," the old woman said as she moved closer to the stove and handed the entire plate to A Niu. "Quickly take this to her. The radishes are homegrown, and since the soil and climate are different, the radishes will naturally vary a bit. It's normal for the flavor of the radish cakes to differ."
Xing Ruyi took a gentle bite. "The radish cake made by Mother is indeed delicious. It seems it's not that my method is wrong, but rather that the radishes I bought were not suitable."
"That's no problem at all. When we have plenty of radishes, I'll have A Niu bring you some so you can enjoy radish cakes all winter long." The old woman sat down and continued, "Although I don't often go to Yun Family Gathering, I know there used to be no Female Doctor here, especially after Guo Family hid that Prescription. There are even fewer doctors now. May I ask who you learned from and where you're from? Are you planning to stay in our Yun Family Gathering or just passing through?"
"Mother, why are you asking her these things?" A Niu looked at her reproachfully despite knowing the old woman was blind. "She is a good person, not like those we encountered before. Feel my hand; she just helped me with it while we were at the gathering. After just one treatment, I can feel some sensation in it now. While it may not return to how it was before, at least I can help you with some chores so you won't have to work so hard."
"A Niu is a good child; I'm just being overly concerned," the old woman said as she patted A Niu's hand. "Please don't mind her; when someone is blind, they tend to think too much."
"The Fox Demon also understands that all mothers share a common concern: they constantly worry about their children. They instinctively guard against those who suddenly get close to their kids. Moreover, I've noticed that this mountain seems somewhat unsettled."
"There are indeed some curious people who come around often, but they haven't done anything out of line," the old woman replied evasively. Xing Ruyi smiled and chose not to pursue the topic further.
"Earlier when Mother asked about my medical skills, actually my medical knowledge is passed down through my family; I've never formally practiced medicine publicly. The patients I see are all by chance. As for where I'm from, there's nothing to hide—I'm from Luoyang and have lived there selling Rouge and Face Powder for a living. This time I'm accompanying my husband back home and stopped by Yun Family Gathering to visit a relative."
"You have relatives in Yun Family Gathering?"
"Yes, her surname is Bai, with 'Jiao' as her given name. She used to run a dumpling shop here but needed to return home for health reasons and entrusted me with her shop. Unfortunately, cooking is not my strong suit; my dumplings turned out particularly unappealing. After thinking it over, I decided to revert to my original trade and transformed the dumpling shop into a Rouge shop, which has just been renovated."
"So you're related to Lady Bai? That puts my mind at ease. Lady Bai is a rare kind-hearted person; she helped me when I faced difficulties before. But how is her health? How far is her hometown from Yun Family Gathering? If it's nearby, I'll ask A Niu to take me to see her another day. I haven't even had a chance to thank her properly."
"Mother needn't worry; my aunt has an old ailment that will improve after resting at home for a while. As for her hometown, it's naturally near Luoyang—about half a month's journey away. Given your eyesight issues, it's clear you can't travel that far. Your kind intentions will be conveyed by me."
"It turns out it's at the Rouge Shop. No wonder I find this Lady Bai's demeanor so different from the people around here," the Old Woman sighed lightly. "With such a long distance, I fear I will never be able to personally thank Lady Bai in this lifetime. A Niu, you must remember this: if we ever meet Lady Bai again, you must bow to her on my behalf."
"Don't worry, Mother, A Niu has it all remembered," A Niu promised solemnly, then turned to Xing Ruyi. "Madam, please see if my mother's eyes can still be treated."
"Alright!" Xing Ruyi didn't want to engage in small talk any longer. Since A Niu had spoken, she took a seat in front of the Old Woman and gently waved her hand in front of her eyes. "Mother might see the Fox Demon’s hand, even if it’s just a vague shadow."
The Old Woman strained her eyes open. "Madam, don’t waste your effort; my eyes have long since lost their sight."
"Mother, why have you given up so quickly? Do you not believe in A Niu's vision or in the Fox Demon’s medical skills?" Xing Ruyi said playfully as she lifted the Old Woman's eyelid.
"That's right, Mother. The Madam came all this way with A Niu to treat your eye condition. And here you are, telling her not to waste her effort before treatment has even begun. Isn’t that doubting the Madam’s skills and A Niu’s ability to find someone to help you?"
"I was wrong, it was my fault for not expressing myself well. Madam, please don’t take offense. I did seek help for my eyes before, but they couldn’t be cured. I was only afraid of wasting your time, which is why I spoke so inappropriately."
"Mother doesn’t need to explain; the Fox Demon understands," Xing Ruyi said as she examined the Old Woman's other eye. "Mother, your two eyes did not go blind at the same time, did they?"
"Indeed not. My left eye went blind later than my right; it has only been about two years since I gradually started seeing less clearly."
"That’s right; Mother’s left eye is pathologically blind. This condition is caused by atrophy of the optic nerve and loss of visual field. Those who suffer from this condition will see a bluish reflection in their pupils when illuminated by light, hence it is called Glaucoma.
Li Mao, fetch a lamp."
"There are candles here; do you need me to light one?" A Niu quickly brought over a half-used candle.
Xing Ruyi nodded, and he swiftly lit it.
Xing Ruyi took the candle and brought it close to the Old Woman's eyes. "Can you see any bluish reflection in your eyes?"
"There is indeed some dark bluish hue," Li Mao said as he glanced at A Niu. "What about you?"
"Is this what Madam sees?" A Niu pointed at a bluish dark spot in the Old Woman's eye. "Could this be what caused my mother’s blindness?"
"That can be true, but the blue color is merely a manifestation of the condition, not the cause of the disease. Patients with Glaucoma typically experience severe blurriness in vision, intense pain in the eyes and head, nausea, or vomiting. In the early stages of the disease, patients may see rainbow-colored halos around light sources. Once these symptoms appear, the patient will quickly lose their vision, which is commonly referred to as blindness."
"Is there any treatment for Glaucoma?" A Niu asked eagerly. "A Niu knows that my mother has been suffering for a long time. If she wants to recover fully, it might be very difficult. So, I just want to ask if there is any way for my mother to see even a little bit, even if it's just a blurry image instead of complete darkness."
"For patients with Glaucoma in the early stages, it is indeed possible to control and treat the condition through medication and surgery. However, since my mother's eyes are already blind, those two methods are no longer effective. I am sorry, but regarding my mother's left eye, I am powerless."
"If it can't be cured, then so be it. I've gotten used to not seeing things these days anyway. Although my eyes can't see anymore, my heart feels brighter. I think this is quite good. A Niu, you shouldn't trouble the lady any further."
"The lady just said she is powerless regarding my mother's left eye? So that means she can treat my mother's right eye?"
"That's correct! For my mother's left eye, I am indeed powerless, but there may still be some hope for her right eye."
Xing Ruyi then opened the old woman's right eye again. This time, however, she used the Ghost Technique.
The old woman's left eye showed clear signs of ocular disease, but her right eye appeared normal. Initially, through visual observation, Xing Ruyi did not notice any symptoms of disease in the old woman's right eye; she only thought that her pupil was unusually dark. However, after using the Ghost Technique, she saw an entirely different situation.
It turned out that within the old woman's right eyeball was hidden a painting that was related to the Temple of the Goddess in the mountains.
Long ago, Xing Ruyi had heard that human eyes also have a recording function; especially in the case of deceased individuals' eyes, they can completely record everything they saw before dying. Originally, Xing Ruyi was not very convinced by this notion until today when she saw the old woman's right eye and realized that this rumor was indeed true. In other words, the old woman's right eye was not blind; it was "dead"!
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