Divorced by her husband's family and rejected by her own! She defiantly turned her life around

Lu Yunzhou took out 20 taels of silver and handed it to Granny Liu. "Mother, didn't you say that your son is the reincarnation of the God of Literature? Your son also believes so. He will definitely pass the imperial examination this time."

When I went to study at the county school this time, I not only won the appreciation of the teacher, but also the favor of the instructor. Everyone praised my knowledge and said that my son was sure to pass the imperial examination this time.

I wonder if Mother has heard about the lantern festival in the county town. My son won first place in the poetry competition, not only receiving a reward of 200 taels of silver, but also gaining the appreciation of a great scholar from the prefectural city. As long as my son passes the imperial examination and enters the prefectural school, his future will be very bright.

My son is quite well-known in the county now. Everyone calls me the number one scholar in Lingshui. He's handsome and talented, and many wealthy girls have expressed their love for me. But my son is virtuous and keeps his distance from them. I know what I want.

"My little brother has really made something of himself. Our family is finally going to turn our lives around. All the hard work I've done over the years has paid off."

"Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you shouldn't have treated the two children that way. No matter what grudges you have with your sister-in-law, the children are still your own, and you'll have to rely on them in the future."

"Little brother, don't worry about your elder brother's affairs. Just focus on your studies. The family's fortunes will change depending on you. Once you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, you'll be exempt from taxes and corvée labor this year, and our family's land will also be tax-exempt."

The family was talking quite loudly, and Widow Wang, lying in bed, was furious. This younger brother-in-law had bought gifts for everyone in the family except her; how despicable!

"Zhou'er, didn't you say you were busy with schoolwork? Is there something important that you came back for? You could have sent someone to tell you, why bother coming all the way here yourself?"

"Mother, your son has come back to recuperate."

"recuperate!"

The three of them stared in astonishment, "What illness?"

"Dad, Mom, Big Brother, I've had a cough since last year. I've seen doctors who all said it was nothing serious and that some medicine would help. It did get better then, but it's never completely gone."

My cough has become increasingly frequent lately, affecting my teaching, so I've taken a month's leave to go home and recover.

Granny Liu looked Lu Yunzhou up and down repeatedly. "Zhou'er, where do you feel unwell? Tell your mother quickly so we can go see a doctor for you. We can't let this interfere with your studies."

"Mother, I just have a cough, nothing else wrong."

"Cough, you've been back for so long, and I haven't heard you cough once."

"Mom, my cough comes in waves. When I start coughing, it's so bad it's like my heart is being torn apart, and it takes forever to stop. But once the coughing subsides and I recover, I'm back to normal, and it's nothing serious."

Did you see a doctor in the county town?

"I've seen doctors everywhere in the county town, and they all said there was nothing wrong. A while ago, I went to see them again, and several doctors said it was just lung heat and nothing serious. I took a few doses of medicine, but it didn't seem to help much. I still cough."

As Lu Yunzhou was speaking, a violent cough struck him. He coughed so hard that his face turned red, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could barely stand. He clutched his chest, clearly in great discomfort.

This terrified Granny Liu, who quickly patted his back, saying, "Zhou'er, don't scare your mother! What's wrong?"

Seeing Lu Yunzhou coughing so violently, Lu Decai and his son Lu Yunping were terrified and at a loss for what to do. At this rate, he could cough up his lungs; how could anyone endure that?

"Boss, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and go get a doctor!"

Lu Yunping immediately ran out to fetch a doctor, "Dr. Yang, quick, quick, help me!"

"What's wrong with you all this time?"

"My second brother is coughing to death."

"Then give him more water. Won't he be thirsty when I'm there?"

"It's a cough, a cough!"

Doctor Yang picked up his medicine kit and followed, asking, "Didn't your brother go to the county school? Why is he back?"

"Let's hurry up and go. We can talk when we get home. If we're any slower, people will cough themselves to death."

When Dr. Yang arrived, Lu Yunzhou's coughing fit had ended, and he was resting in bed. "Oh dear, Dr. Yang, please take a look at my son. Why is he coughing so badly? If this continues, he'll be ruined by coughing sooner or later."

He's about to take the imperial examination to become a scholar; he can't afford to have anything go wrong!

"Everyone move aside, don't block the light." After examining him, Dr. Yang concluded that there was nothing seriously wrong. It was probably just that his breathing was unstable due to coughing earlier, and he would be fine after a rest.

"Dr. Yang, please tell me how my son is and how he should be treated. We have money and can't let Zhou'er suffer any longer."

"Lu Tongsheng is fine. He'll be alright after a rest. He doesn't need any medicine."

"How could he be alright? You didn't see it. He was coughing up his lungs, sweating profusely, and in terrible pain. It was heartbreaking to see him like that. Please take another look. We'll give you extra money for the consultation."

"It's not a matter of consultation fees. Lu Tongsheng is indeed fine, and it's the same no matter how many times he sees her."

"Lu Tongsheng, how are you feeling now? Can you describe the symptoms when you had your attack?"

Lu Yunzhou then recounted in detail how he first started coughing, the treatment process, how his cough had become increasingly severe, and the physical sensations he experienced while coughing.

"You mean the doctors in the county all said it was nothing serious, and the most recent diagnosis was just lung heat?"

"Yes, that's what the doctor said. He prescribed some medicine for me, but I felt it didn't help much. My cough was really bad, so I took leave to come back and rest for a month to see how it goes."

"Your illness is strange! The doctors in the county town are far more skilled than me, and if they can't find the cause, then it's even less likely that I can."

"Dr. Yang, you can't just ignore this! My son has a bright future. If you can find a way to cure him, he will never forget your kindness when he becomes a high-ranking official."

"The saying goes that a doctor should have a benevolent heart. It's not that I don't want to save them, but that I don't know how. Why don't you go to the prefectural city and take a look?"

Lu Yunzhou's eyes lit up. He was completely confused; why hadn't he thought of going to the prefectural city? The doctors there must be highly skilled. He immediately said to Doctor Yang, "Doctor Yang, why don't you accompany me to the prefectural city? If anything happens on the way, you can help me in time. I won't let you help for nothing; I'll cover your food and lodging, and I'll give you 50 coins a day for your help. How about that?"

"Since you've said that, how can I not go? Besides, you're the most promising young man in our village, and I hope you can make something of yourself so that the whole village can benefit from your success."

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll go tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll take the village chief's oxcart to the town, and then a horse-drawn carriage to the county seat. I'll go to the county town's clinic and ask which doctor in the prefectural city has good medical skills."

"Okay, then I'll go back and get ready."

"Dr. Yang, you've recovered. Lu Yunzhou is acting like nothing happened." Granny Liu looked at her son and said, "What kind of illness is this? He came in like he was going to die, but now he's gone like nothing happened. Look how much he's suffered! It breaks my heart!"

"Mother, it's alright. The doctors in the prefecture are highly skilled and will definitely be able to cure you."

"I'm going to the prefectural city tomorrow. I'll have my elder brother come with me; it'll make things easier."

"Alright, let the boss go with you."

"Dad, what will happen to spring planting if I leave?"

"Brother, you don't need to worry about that. We have money at home. If Father can't get here in time, we can hire someone. There are plenty of people willing to do it."

"Eldest brother, you can go without worry. Take good care of your younger brother. You don't need to worry about things at home. Just like Zhou'er said, we have money at home. If we can't manage everything, we'll just hire someone."

The most important thing for our family right now is your brother's health.