One day later, at the old family head's residence.
Divine Doctor Liu had kept watch for a whole day and night, replaced the silver needles three times, and coaxed seven bowls of medicine down the old man's throat. At last, on the second morning, the eyelids of the old family head, Yao Shourén, twitched.
Yao Qingdai had been dozing half-awake beside the bed. She rubbed her eyes blearily, then saw her grandfather's fingers twitch.
"Sister! Grandpa's hand moved!"
Yao Qingluo sprang to her feet and leaned closer. Sure enough, the old family head's eyelids were fluttering, his cracked lips trembled a few times, and a faint groan escaped his throat.
"Grandpa!"
Tears welled up in Yao Qingluo's eyes. She clasped the old family head's frail hand tightly, her voice shaking. "Grandpa, can you hear me?"
Yao Shourén slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was murky and bewildered. It wandered around the dim room before finally settling on his two granddaughters. He opened his mouth, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "Luo'er... Dai'er... What... happened to me?"
"Grandpa!" Yao Qingdai couldn't hold back any longer. She threw her arms around the old family head's arm and sobbed so hard she could barely breathe. "You're finally awake... You've been unconscious for so long... I thought... I thought you'd never wake up..."
The hurt and fear Yao Qingdai had kept bottled up for so long finally broke loose, and she wept silently.
For more than half a month, she had been like a string pulled taut. With the Second Branch pressing them at every turn, her grandfather's life hanging in the balance, and the family beset by troubles inside and out, she had forced herself to stay strong and show not the slightest weakness. Now that her grandfather was awake, the