A Second Life, A New Power novel Chapter 7

Daniel was at a loss for words.

"Enough! Stop talking nonsense. If your sneakers are dirty, have Abigail clean them! Don't always think about ordering Demi around!" Stephen scolded with a stern face.

"She's our housekeeper. Who else can I order around if not her?" Robert replied, looking confused.

Daniel shot Robert a sharp glare, signaling to him to shut up.

…

Over in Lindton, Margaret finally woke up after three consecutive days of acupuncture. When she awoke, Demi was still inserting needles into her.

When Margaret opened her eyes and saw the girl before her, after a moment of hesitation, she tentatively called out, "Demi?"

"Grandma, it's me. Why? Have you forgotten me that quickly?" Demi smiled.

"Why did you come back? This place is so far," Margaret said, trembling as she raised her hand, wanting to touch her granddaughter.

Demi lowered her head cooperatively to let Margaret touch her.

Margaret stroked Demi's hair and face, finally feeling her real presence.

"Did the neighbors call and tell you I was sick?" Margaret asked hoarsely. "I clearly told them not to."

Demi turned around and poured a glass of water for her grandmother. Then, she placed two pillows behind Margaret for support and brought the glass to her lips.

"No, I just wanted to come back to visit you. Grandma, why didn't you call me when you weren't feeling well? And why wouldn't you let anyone else tell me? What if something had happened?"

Demi looked at Margaret with a hint of reproach.

If she hadn't been reborn, she and her grandmother would have died in separate tragedies—one consumed by flames, the other wasting away alone in bed—never to see each other again.

The thought of this made Demi's eyes well up with tears.

"At my age and with this body, it's about time for me to meet my maker. But I just couldn't let go of Timmy." Margaret turned to look at Timothy, who was sitting quietly by the bedside and fiddling with a Rubik's Cube.

Timothy raised his head and looked at Margaret.

"Grandma!" Demi frowned with displeasure as she gazed at Margaret. "Can you stop talking about life and death all the time? It's unlucky."

Margaret chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. I won't talk about that."

At the next moment, confusion filled her expression. "But how did my illness get better?"

The truth was that she had seen a doctor before she had fallen unconscious. The doctor had told her that the blood vessels in her brain could rupture at any moment, leading to an immediate coma. Then, she would be beyond saving by any god.

The doctor had also said that if the condition had been addressed years earlier, there might have been a chance of treatment, but now, it was hopeless.

For one, her advanced age made her unable to withstand surgery. Then, the blood clots in her brain were too severe for surgical intervention.

Demi had no chance to respond to that before Timothy suddenly jumped up, grabbed a mirror from the window, and held it in front of Margaret.

Margaret saw the dozen or so golden needles on her head glinting under the sunlight.

"Did you find a traditional medicine doctor?" Margaret asked, turning to Demi.

Timothy pointed at Demi.

Demi chuckled. Her brother had become much more lively than before.

Margaret glanced at Timothy, then looked back at Demi in confusion. "Demi, did you hire a traditional medicine doctor?"

That didn't seem right to her. She had already consulted the well-known traditional medicine practitioners nearby, and they had all said that there was nothing they could do.

"No, Grandma. I've learned a bit about traditional medicine, so I tried a few acupuncture techniques. It seems like it worked pretty well," Demi replied with a smile.

Margaret stared at her granddaughter, who seemed to glow under the sunlight, and she was stunned for a few moments.

"Oh, it was you…" Margaret was momentarily dazed before breaking into a contented smile. "Letting you go into the big city was a good idea. You've only been gone a year, and you've already learned acupuncture."

Demi smiled and chose not to explain further.

"Your parents and family treat you well, right?" Margaret asked with a smile.

Even though she had already asked this, Margaret felt she already knew the answer within her.

"Look at me, asking such questions. Of course they treat you well. They're your biological parents and brothers, after all!" Margaret smiled kindly.

Demi remained silent.

"I still want to stay with you and Timmy," Demi said softly.

She didn't want to burden her grandmother with unpleasant things and make her worry unnecessarily. At least for now, while Margaret was still sick, she had to keep it a secret.

"Silly girl. Living with wealthy parents in the big city is how you'll live comfortably. You can go to college, find a good job, and chase your dreams there. If you stay with me, all you'll do is scavenge every day. What future is there in that?" Margaret chuckled.

Demi still said nothing.