114 Tradition 2 (1/2)
”Mother, I should have been more careful and alerted you that I have just mopped the stairs and they would be slippery. That was my mistake. I would do everything within my power to look after you until you're nursed back to health. I'm so sorry.” Xiu Ling said with a repentant look.
Mrs. Lin was caught off-guard. Xiu Ling was volunteering to take up the job that Mrs. Lin saw as a punishment. Mrs. Lin was prepared for a fight, she was ready with the arguments and threats she was going to levy at Xiu Ling if the girl dared to say no but when Xiu Ling owned up to her mistake and volunteered to take responsibility, there was nothing Mrs. Lin could say but a weak, ”Okay…”
And that brought us back to how it was in the present…
Xiu Ling unwrapped the bandage over her mother-in-law's ankle. Before she laid them in the water, Xiu Ling warned, ”Mother, the water might be a bit hot so be prepared.”
Mrs. Lin nodded.
The warm water was to improve the blood flow so that the swelling could recede faster. Xiu Ling might lean towards modern medicine but it did not mean that she looked down on the traditional way either. In fact, she still remembered some of the knowledge her mother once taught her when she was young.
It was just that she found western medicine had a more instant effect compared to Chinese medicine which was used to slowly nourish and balance one's body. Each served their purpose but since her mother-in-law preferred one over the other, Xiu Ling did not mind going along with it. After all, her mother-in-law was the patient.
Mrs. Lin's feet soaked into the water and Xiu Ling used the cloth to wipe the earlier poultice off her mother-in-law's ankle. As she did so, Xiu Ling washed Mrs. Lin's feet and gave it a quick massage.
When Xiu Ling caught out of the corner of her eyes the grimace on her mother-in-law's face, she grabbed the fresh bandage off the nearby table. She tore out a small part to wipe the water off Mrs. Lin's feet. She threw it away and tore another section out from the roll of bandage. Then Xiu Ling proceeded to wrap the bandage around Mrs. Lin's sprained ankle.
When she was done, Xiu Ling raised her mother-in-law's feet gingerly off the floor and laid it gently down on the fluffy bed.
Xiu Ling then turned to Mrs. Lin and smiled. ”Mother, is there anything that I can help you with?”
Mrs. Lin shook her head wordlessly.
Xiu Ling nodded to herself before bending down to pick up the basin of water. ”Mother, then I shall go throw away the used water.” Xiu Ling straightened herself and looked around the room. She noticed even though just one day had passed, a thin layer of dust had fallen on the surface of the furniture in the room.