As Su Xiaoqi had expected, Zhang Yu was the boldest among them.
She hadn't even blinked when she saw her take action, her expression calm.
Although Madam Lin was frightened, she was loyal. Out of devotion to the Old Madam, no matter how scared she was, she forced herself to keep watch.
She was afraid that if she blinked, something would happen to the Old Madam.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly.
The arrowhead Su Xiaoqi removed was bloody and rusty, looking quite terrifying.
If this continued, without timely surgery, that arm would likely be ruined.
Although Su Xiaoqi felt confident, to ensure there were no mishaps, she exchanged some supplies from her space for a spiritual medicine and fed it to the Old Madam.
The rest was no longer her concern.
Madam Wen and Madam Lin would naturally assign reliable people to look after her.
Su Xiaoqi was also a bit tired.
After Madam Wen recovered her senses, she arranged for Su Xiaoqi to rest in the west wing with tea.
Su Xiaoqi slept very well that night and couldn't fall asleep again at this hour. She simply sat in the west wing, eating snacks, drinking tea, and spacing out.
Zhang Yu also followed her. Seeing that Su Xiaoqi kept standing, with her back straight, she asked her to sit down as well.
"Mistress, did you spend time in the army before?" Zhang Yu asked, seemingly casually.
"No," Su Xiaoqi chuckled.
Perhaps Zhang Yu had seen her skilled and unwavering technique just now and thought she was accustomed to handling such wounds.
In truth, she really wasn't.
While operating on the Old Madam, she had been very nervous.
After all, she wasn't formally trained, only having practiced when studying medicine at home.
But thinking of the Old Madam's vitality and suffering, and her kindness towards her, she gained confidence.
Coupled with her sudden ability to see through body structures like an X-ray, she handled the scalpel very smoothly.
It was as normal as peeling an apple.
"As for you, you amaze me. You're only fifteen, aren't you?" Su Xiaoqi looked at Zhang Yu, silently recalling Shen Yun's introduction to her.
An orphan, trained since the age of five, having undergone ten years of training.
Zhang Yu paused for a moment, then nodded, saying she was used to it.
Hearing her say it so ordinarily, Su Xiaoqi's heart ached slightly.
She placed her hand on Zhang Yu's back and patted it gently, comforting her silently.
Even though she hadn't been by her side for long,
Su Xiaoqi found her to be a treasure of a maid.
She seemed to know everything.
She knew the rules of noble families, could cook, and could also brew tea.
Most importantly, she knew martial arts, which was what Su Xiaoqi needed most.
After all, in this ancient era where security seemed rather poor, having a powerful martial artist by her side would make her feel safer.
As for the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and embroidery—the standards by which ancient people measured a person's excellence—Su Xiaoqi automatically ignored them.
Moreover, Zhang Yu had a very good disposition. Although she grew up in such a place, her temperament wasn't cold; instead, she was very gentle and compliant, basically fulfilling all of Su Xiaoqi's requests and suiting her tastes perfectly.
The two sat there, drinking tea and chatting for a while, when someone came to report that the Old Madam had woken up.
"She's awake? Good, I'll be right there." Su Xiaoqi stood up abruptly, beckoning Zhang Yu and Guo'er, and went out.
As she reached the entrance of the east wing, Su Xiaoqi heard the Old Madam's weak voice:
"Cough, cough, cough, cough... I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Mother, how, how are you feeling now? Does your arm still hurt?" Madam Wen asked with a pained expression, wanting to reach out and touch it, but hesitating when she saw the white bandages.
Her hands paused in mid-air, trembling slightly.
"Silly girl, after having that cut made, how could it not hurt?
It won't stop hurting until the wound heals, will it?" The Old Madam chided her with a look.
Madam Wen was also flustered by concern.
From the moment she followed Su Xiaoqi into the so-called operating room, her heart had been in a state of panic.
When she saw Su Xiaoqi holding that thin, small knife and making an incision on the Old Madam's arm, her heart clenched.
It felt as if someone was pulling a rope in the middle, and she could barely breathe.
But seeing the young Su Xiaoqi calm and composed under the lamp, efficiently carrying out her tasks without haste or confusion,
And her maidservant also diligently by her side, handing things over from time to time,
She then realized that the Old Madam trusted Xiao Qi, and she trusted the Old Madam, so she had to trust Xiao Qi as well.
Although she had come to this understanding, it still took Madam Wen a long time to accept the situation.
Just as she had adjusted her state of mind, Su Xiaoqi announced that the task was done.
Then her body felt weak, and she stumbled, almost falling.
She had been holding herself together throughout the entire process.
After everyone had finished cleaning up the room, she looked at the Old Madam lying on the bed with her eyes closed, her brows still furrowed even in sleep, and Madam Wen's heart ached.
Her mother-in-law was the best mother-in-law in the world.
She looked stern but was actually the kindest.
She never put on airs of a mother-in-law in front of her, nor did she make her follow strict rules; she had always treated her as her own daughter.
She said she treated her the same way she treated her own daughters in the past.
Therefore, Madam Wen had always felt genuine affection and respect for the Old Madam.
The Old Madam she had always seen before was resolute and strong, as if no storm could ever defeat her.
Now, seeing her in such a fragile state, Madam Wen felt truly heartbroken.
She stayed by her bedside, constantly placing her ear on the bed to feel her heartbeat and breathing.
Only then could she feel at ease.
This was the scene Su Xiaoqi saw when she entered.
She stopped at the doorway, feeling a bit embarrassed, afraid of disturbing them.
But seeing that the Old Madam had already spotted her, her aged eyes looking towards her, Su Xiaoqi smiled and walked over.
"Grandmother, you're awake. As expected of a female general who fought on the battlefield. Your body is indeed robust.
It's only been a short while since the surgery, and you're already able to get up. I believe you'll recover quickly."
"Earlier, was that... surgery?" The Old Madam expressed slight unfamiliarity with the term.
Su Xiaoqi nodded, then realized her wording might have misled the Old Madam, and explained softly, "Surgery is like how battlefield medics treat wounded soldiers' external injuries.
It's just that theirs was immediate, and ours is afterward."
Hearing about the battlefield, the Old Madam understood.
Su Xiaoqi then checked her arm again. There was no redness, swelling, or inflammation, indicating that the subsequent recovery was going well.
Madam Wen, who had been listening quietly to their conversation,
Finally spoke, "Xiao Qi, why don't you stay here tonight? I'll have a room prepared for you in the main courtyard.
With Mother like this, I'm a bit uneasy, but I don't understand these things."
Madam Wen felt anxious. Although she hadn't witnessed the so-called surgery Su Xiaoqi had mentioned,
She had also spent time at the frontier and personally escorted medicinal supplies for the army, occasionally seeing military doctors treating the wounded.
Those scenes were bloody and terrifying to think about.
Some people were cured by the military doctors, but some did not survive after their wounds were bandaged.
Although the Old Madam's condition looked good now, she still worried about any unexpected incidents happening at night. By then, the imperial city gates would be locked, and Su Xiaoqi, being in the inner city, wouldn't be able to enter.
Su Xiaoqi considered it and then nodded in agreement. However, remembering that Shen Yun had said he would come to pick her up, she called Zhang Yu to her and asked her to send a message to Shen Yun.
Zhang Yu returned quickly, and Su Xiaoqi was still by the Old Madam's bedside.
However, given her age, she couldn't withstand much exertion and was already feeling drowsy.
Zhang Yu entered and looked at Su Xiaoqi, seeming hesitant to speak.
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow. What had happened?