Chapter 134 - End of main text...

This year, both daughters-in-law have married into the family, making the house much livelier than in previous years. There are also more social interactions. Miaozhen's family is usually quite ordinary, but this year there are especially many. Not only are there New Year's gifts from various patients, but also gifts from the Prince Yu's Mansion, and even many people she doesn't know at all have sent gifts.

The pageboy, who was in charge of Miaozhen's courtyard, quickly intervened, saying, "Why did you send gifts when you usually have no dealings with our household?"

"We sent this because we admire Ms. Xu."

The pageboy was both amused and exasperated. He then reported this to Miaozhen, who naturally rejected it all, finding it utterly absurd.

She first shared the delicious food that others had given her with the younger generation. Zhao Ge'er loved the kind of dried persimmons that were so dry they made him choke, while Zheng Ge'er liked to eat everything. Both of them came over to thank her for the treats.

Miaozhen laughed and said, "There's nothing to thank me for. Being able to eat is a blessing. But, boss, you absolutely mustn't give your persimmon cakes to your wife, you know? I've already told her that."

Zhao Ge'er laughed and said, "She's being very careful these days; she's been reading all the booklets you gave me."

"That's good." Miaozhen was relieved.

Zhengge'er then offered his opinion: "Mother, I still want to eat those skewered hot pot dishes you made at the end of the year. Can you make them today? We can all eat them together."

Miaozhen shook her head: "Tonight, one of your brother's colleagues asked me to see a doctor. I have to go there later, so I won't have time. You should also eat less, be careful not to get a sore throat. I'm not kidding you, eating hot pot is the easiest way to get a sore throat, especially in winter when the house is already hot from the kang (heated brick bed).

She ate too many snacks last time, and the boils on her head became unbearable.

Upon hearing that he couldn't eat it, Zheng Ge'er was a little disappointed. He said, "Then I'll go pick up Mother tonight?"

"Hey, hey, hey, I'll go pick up Mom later, you just stay home and study." Zhao Ge'er thought that this was his colleague, and he asked his mother to help him, so how could he let his younger brother pick him up?

At times like these, Miaozhen would feel that altruism is not a bad thing. Perhaps some people can gain the respect and love of many people for no reason, but most people are just ordinary people. If they want to maintain the respect of others, they really need to have their own career.

If you can help your sons, you will be of great importance, and they will not dare to underestimate you.

Whether at home or in officialdom, it's always a matter of the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind, or vice versa.

Zhao Ge'er's colleague was the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, surnamed Fan. This Scholar Fan had a son who was not very old. He would often suddenly faint and convulse, foaming at the mouth. When he woke up after a while, he would be no different from a normal person.

This strange illness has been treated with medication specifically for epilepsy, but there has been little improvement.

Miaozhen said she went over in the evening, but it was actually in the afternoon. At that time, Fan Zhuangyuan was at home. Miaozhen looked at the child and saw that he was indeed showing symptoms of epilepsy. He was pale and chubby, and his expression was slow. Now, when the child was normal, he was clear-headed.

Fan Zhuangyuan said, "The doctor who treated my epilepsy last time said it was because phlegm was obstructing my mind. He said that once the air was cleared, the disease would be almost cured, but unfortunately it is still the same."

Miaozhen nodded slightly: "That's true in principle, but generally speaking, if someone really has phlegm, how could their expression be so clear? Was it the Epilepsy-Suppressing Pill that you took before?"

"You're amazing! It really was the epilepsy-preventing pill you took."

"Although this pill is good, the formula is heavy and heavy, using ingredients like malachite, cinnabar, and pearl, which are very harmful to the heart and blood. It may seem to calm the heart and clear away fire, but in reality, it is just a false effect."

Scholar Fan hurriedly asked, "Then, Doctor Xu, how should we treat this?"

Miao Zhen said, "What I mean is to take a medicine first. This medicine is not for treating epilepsy, but it can clear the meridians and ward off external pathogens. In this way, the medicine you take later will be even better for your body."

After saying that, she took out Xiaofeng Pills and had the child take seven doses. She also prescribed Jicheng Dingxian Pills, which were to be taken one pill each in the morning, noon and evening, dissolved in ginger soup.

"I brought these Xiaofeng pills with me. I'll go back and make the rest of the pills before sending them over," Miaozhen said.

Diagnosis is very important; as long as the symptoms are correctly identified, the problem is generally not serious. Before the New Year, the Fan family took the medicine prescribed by Miaozhen, and after about half a month, the Fan family boy really recovered, and his epilepsy stopped recurring.

Scholar Fan specially brought his son and generous gifts to visit, and asked his son to kowtow to Miaozhen. Miaozhen hurriedly said, "Quickly let the child get up. He is still young. Why do he have to perform such a grand ceremony?"

"Madam saved my son's stubborn illness, and this is exactly what I should do." Seeing that Miao Zhen looked so young, Scholar Fan initially thought she wasn't Xiao Zhaozhi's biological mother, but after inquiring, he was surprised to learn she truly was. However, upon seeing her exceptional medical skills, he was deeply impressed.

Although not all scholars read storybooks, they had heard of them. Scholar Fan thought that this Madam Xu was truly skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was also his son's benefactor. He thought it would be better to have his son become her student.

Miao Zhen was surprised that Scholar Fan had this idea, and quickly explained, "You misunderstand, I don't know martial arts, I only know some medical skills."

No wonder people around her have been acting strangely lately when she takes silver needles out of the box; they probably really thought she was carrying some kind of magic box.

After seeing off the Fan family father and son, Miaozhen looked at the gifts they had given her. These were gifts specifically for her, intended as payment for her medical consultations, and did not need to be given to the public. Among them were a purple clay teapot, a pair of clay figurines, two bolts of multicolored satin, and a box of braised pork ribs.

These all seemed to be Wuxi specialties, especially the pair of clay figurines, which Miaozhen found very cute, so she placed them on her table. She gave the purple clay teapot to Xiao Jingshi to brew tea, and the braised pork ribs were just an extra dish.

At noon, Liu He Niang went back to her parents' home to visit her grandmother. Zheng Ge'er ate lunch with Miao Zhen and Xiao Jing Shi, and ate several pieces of braised pork ribs.

Miaozhen quietly asked her, "How are things going with your wife?"

Zheng Ge'er said with a troubled expression, "It's alright, it's just that she likes me too much. Especially the other day when I accompanied her to burn incense, some rich young men who didn't know her identity tried to speak rudely to her, but my son beat them down and reasoned with them. After that, she likes me even more."

"So it was a hero saving a beauty. I'm very pleased that you two have such a good relationship. But you still need to focus on your studies and achieving fame. Otherwise, your current affection will be nothing but a mirage. If you keep failing the imperial examinations, your affection will turn into resentment." Miaozhen believed that developing oneself was the most important thing for both men and women.

People's preferences are fleeting, coming and going quickly; only one's own abilities can ensure one's invincibility.

Zheng Ge'er rarely saw his mother speak to him so earnestly, so he immediately said, "Mother, don't worry, although I am not as talented as my brother, I am also studying hard."

“Even if you don’t become an official after you finish your studies, your reputation won’t be too bad. People will praise you for having the spirit of Tao Yuanming. But if you don’t have any official rank, no matter how much you do, people will still say you’re useless. As long as you live in this world, you will be influenced by your surroundings. I don’t want to see my son being disliked, so I’m doing my best to study hard. Naturally, I’ve seen your efforts. If you still can’t pass the exam, it’s fine if you get a government position through family connections, but that would be the most shameful thing.” Miaozhen still wanted to make the reasoning clear to her son.

If you only focus on learning for fun and neglect your studies when you should be studying, you will regret it later. Naturally, Miaozhen also told her son that as long as he tries his best, even if he has no hope of achieving fame and fortune in the future, he can still benefit from Xiao Jingshi's official position.

Zheng Ge'er thought that if one were to obtain an official position through family connections, one would not have much power in the future, and it would be difficult to be selected for office. It would be better to be like his brother, who passed the exams on his own, so that he would truly earn people's respect.

Otherwise, when you enter officialdom, if people ask you what year you were a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and who your mentor was, you'll have to stammer and be evasive.

That won't do; he needs to be assertive.

After hearing Miaozhen's words, Zhengge'er studied even more diligently. Liu Heniang was still a little disappointed, after all, her husband had been by her side every day during the New Year, and she was not used to studying in the study all of a sudden.

Han Ruozhen, having experienced similar situations, advised him, "Look, your in-laws aren't always together. Anyway, your mother-in-law doesn't need to stand on ceremony, so you can relax a bit. It's like being at home."

"That's true." Liu He Niang smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Han Ruozhen thought to herself, "I've been through the same thing. When we were newlyweds, my husband was studying hard, and I always felt neglected. But now that he has become a top scholar, who wouldn't envy me?"

Anyway, we live under the same roof, and it's not like my husband is thousands of miles away.

Xiao Jingshi noticed that his youngest son had become much more diligent and praised him repeatedly, saying, "In fact, the imperial examination is indeed rigid, but Zheng'er is able to take it seriously, so at least my wife and I won't have to worry about it in the future."

“I wasn’t too worried about Zheng-ge’er anyway. By the way, I’m planning to go out for a walk during this break,” Miao-zhen said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll take you there, but don’t you want to see a doctor?” Xiao Jingshi asked.

Miaozhen shook her head: "Even cattle and horses have their moments of rest, let alone people? I also want to go out for a spring outing. I don't want to always go to those temples. I just want to feel the breeze and see the scenery."

As a child, she loved the prosperity of Suzhou; as she grew up, she loved the brilliance of Beijing. But after witnessing all of this, sometimes she just wanted to go out and not think about anything, to welcome the spring.

Since Miaozhen wanted to go out, Xiao Jingshi made a good arrangement. The couple enjoyed flowers and tea together. Miaozhen pointed to the flowers by the roadside and said, "Can you make me a flower wreath?"

“Although I’m not very good at knitting, I’ll still knit one for you.” Xiao Jingshi actually started learning.

Seeing how crookedly he braided it, Miaozhen leaned over, and Xiao Jingshi put it on her head, but then she was shy: "What if someone sees it? Maybe I should wait until I learn how to braid it before I say anything."

"I'll only wear it for a little while, it's no big deal," Miaozhen said happily.

Ever since the couple started going on spring outings like this, Xiao Jingshi would bring Miaozhen along whenever he wasn't busy. Now that they don't have any children to take care of or grandchildren, they spend all their free time together.

Even Mrs. Han said to Han Ruozhen, "You gave birth to a grandson, so you are considered the eldest grandson in their family. Why don't I see your mother-in-law happy? I heard from your aunt that the wife of the Marquis couldn't be separated from Xuan Ge'er for a moment."

“That’s how my mother-in-law is. It’s not that she doesn’t care, but she’s just different from others. My brother and sister-in-law and I manage the household, and she just oversees things, or she’ll just ask me if I, her brother, have any health problems, but she doesn’t interfere much else.” Han Ruozhen sometimes feels a little disappointed, but she can’t really control her mother-in-law.

Don't be fooled by the fact that others don't seem to care much about them on a daily basis; their reputation and influence within the family are extraordinary.

With Minister Gao's recent appointment to the cabinet, Grand Secretary Han's position is somewhat precarious, making the support of in-laws crucial, which has made Mrs. Han rather sensitive.

Miaozhen wouldn't concern herself with these matters; she had her own path to follow, especially the task of cultivating medicinal herbs on a plot of land on her estate. Beijing was suitable for growing herbs such as Isatis indigotica, honeysuckle, and Salvia miltiorrhiza. This way, she wouldn't have to buy vegetables from pharmacies so often; she could simply have them transported directly from her estate.

So, under the guise of spring outings, they would often visit the estate. Xiao Jingshi had previously managed his family's pharmacy and had a lot of experience. Miaozhen was probably busy with her own affairs right now.

Xu Erpeng thought the same way. After failing the imperial examination, Xu Jian planned to take the exam in the capital for the last time in three years. If he failed, he planned to apply for a position in the Ministry of Personnel.

"It's up to you. In our family, I'm just a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination), while you're already a Juren (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination), which is much better than me." His eldest son, a Juren, was able to become an instructor or county magistrate, while his second son had a secure job as a clerk in the capital. Since both sons had their own paths in life, he didn't need to worry about them.

They were originally from a modest family, and it was already quite an achievement for them to have the family fortune they had today. If they were to become obsessed with passing the imperial examination, that would be overestimating their own abilities.

Especially since long journeys make one more susceptible to illness, it would be best if my son were safe and sound.

Seeing his father's support, Xu Jian smiled and said, "Father, your book has already been adapted into plays in Suzhou and Wuxi. I wonder when it will reach the capital. If it does, my sister might see it too."

"I hope your sister sees this. Many people say your sister is the Heroine Xu, but she's also very capable. She even went to the battlefield to treat soldiers." Xu Erpeng was also wondering when this story would reach the capital.

As the father and son were talking, the Xiao family sent over a wedding invitation. It turned out that Miao Ge'er's marriage was set for next year, and the bride was none other than the daughter of the Cen family.

"The Cen family? Didn't Madam Cen only have one son?" Xu Jian was fairly familiar with the Xiao family's situation.

Xu Erpeng glanced at him and said, "Then he must be born out of wedlock. I remember that Cen family's official position isn't low. Speaking of which, he and our son-in-law were born in the same year, and our son-in-law is already a high-ranking official."

“He can’t compare to my brother-in-law. He’s currently serving as a councilor in Henan, a third-rank official, but he can’t compare to a minister,” Xu Jian said.

When news of Miao Ge'er's marriage reached the capital, Xiao Jingshi had little reaction: "A marriage between relatives is a good thing."

"Next year is Miao-ge'er's wedding. Should we ask Zheng-ge'er to go back then?" Miao-zhen asked.

Xiao Jingshi shook his head: "Then there's no need. We'll just send someone to deliver a generous gift back. The situation in the capital is unpredictable these days, and Zheng'er is still young and has never been out alone before."

Since her husband said so, Miaozhen agreed.

Lou Qiongyu still had to handle Miao Ge'er's marriage. Of course, she was very happy. Although the Cen family's daughter was not Xiao Suyin's daughter, she was still the daughter of a government official. Her son was able to marry the daughter of a third-rank official, and the girl's concubine was very favored, so there was no difference between her and the legitimate daughter.

So I plan to go back to Suzhou at the end of the year, and then come back next year after my son gets married.

Xiao Jingtang went along with Lou Qiongyu's decision regarding the marriage. Otherwise, problems between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would arise, which would be undesirable. Besides, his official position, even after a few more years, would likely remain a minor one, burdened with numerous official duties, requiring him to be obsequious, and his salary would be meager—it simply wasn't worthwhile. He wanted to secure a good marriage for his son, hoping his future father-in-law could help him in his career, especially since Cen Yuan and the Xiao family were also related.

Unfortunately, the marriage could not take place at the beginning of the following year because His Majesty passed away at the end of the year. Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji, ascended the throne on December 26th, changing the era name to Longqing Emperor. The following year, he made his eldest son the Crown Prince.

The new emperor often skipped court sessions, showing he was not a diligent ruler. Xiao Jingshi complained about this at home and even submitted memorials. Miaozhen, however, advised him from the side: "Which of you officials doesn't hope that the emperor and the scholar-officials can govern by doing nothing? Why are you starting to do this again? I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Everyone in the cabinet is shrewd."

Xiao Jingshi then gave up, probably because he was pragmatic. Before his term as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice was over, he was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel as Vice Minister of the Left. In addition, Zhao Ge'er and seven other Hanlin scholars were selected as tutors for the Crown Prince.

The good news was published in the official gazette, and even local officials in Suzhou congratulated Master Xiao and his wife. Master Xiao and his wife were overjoyed. Even Madam Chao brought her grandson, Ren-ge, to celebrate. The Xiao family was bustling with activity, and the entire clan benefited from the honor.

Looking at her sister-in-law Rao, who had once looked down on people, Ren thought to herself that fortunes change, and no one could have imagined what their future would hold.

Thinking of this, she looked at her two daughters-in-law, Han Yueyao and Lou Qiongyu, and suddenly remembered that when the three daughters-in-law were together, Xu Shi was ignored by everyone at first, and now they were completely different.

...

Miaozhen no longer cared about the speculations from her hometown. The Crown Prince had caught a cold and asked her to come to the palace to see him. The Crown Prince was already used to her treating him, and it was naturally an honor for her.

When she came out of the palace, she didn't expect her husband to be waiting there. Miaozhen walked over quickly and asked, "Jingshi, what brings you here?"

“Why can’t I come? I’m off today. I even went to the estate to check on the herbs and teach them how to harvest them. I was busy for half the day before I came to pick you up.” Xiao Jingshi held her hand.

The two did not ride in a carriage, but walked slowly through the streets.

Miaozhen said, "The Crown Prince trusts me a lot, but the more he trusts me, the more I feel like I'm walking on thin ice. No wonder people say that living a carefree life is the best thing in the world, and not having to worry is the best thing in the world."

"It's only because you see things so clearly. If it were someone else, they would have been blinded by such unique honor. Zhenzhen, let me tell you, if I were to reach the position of Minister, I would be at the pinnacle of power, and it would be difficult to rise any higher. Then I could truly be by your side," Xiao Jingshi said with a smile.

Miaozhen smiled and said, "Okay."

As the two passed through the backyard of a house, they heard the sound of string and wind instruments playing. The most popular song at the time, "Xu Nüxia's Detective Stories," was being sung. Xiao Jingshi leaned over to listen, and Miaozhen tugged at his sleeve. The two couldn't help but smile at each other.

—End of main text

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Author's note: The main text is now complete. I will begin updating the side stories tomorrow.

My next book should be "Springtime in Bianjing". You can check it out through the author's column on the app. If you don't want to read the book through the app, I also have a brief introduction here. If you like it, you can bookmark it.

Here's the synopsis: Meng Zhilin transmigrates to a family of officials in the Northern Song Dynasty. Fortunately, she is not only the young lady of this family, but also the legitimate daughter.

Although her mother was her father's third wife, she was still a lawfully wedded wife with an imperial title. As for her, she was not as fortunate as her eldest sister, who was born to her father's first wife and whose maternal family was from a prestigious family of high-ranking officials. Nor was she as fortunate as her second sister, whose mother was born to her father's beloved and whose beauty was unparalleled. However, she had her mother's love and her maternal grandparents' doting affection, which was already very satisfying for her.

Originally, they thought that things would continue as they were, and that this was the only way to a prosperous future. However, after their father passed away, their half-brother had an affair, their family property was seized, their marriage was taken away, and their younger brother's child was suspected of being of dubious origin. Although their mother was there to eliminate these evil spirits, the family eventually fell into ruin.

Zhilin thought, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Bianjing is the most magnificent city in the world. Everyone loves flowers and plants flowers these days. I only thought about making a living by selling flowers. I never thought I would become a big flower merchant..."

Zhilin sighed, "This domestic power struggle story has instantly turned into a farming story..."

Reading Notes: 1. This is a story about farming and business with some domestic intrigue. It is a semi-fictional story set in the Northern Song Dynasty, not a historical dynasty. This story only references the style of the Song Dynasty and does not involve real historical events or figures. Everything serves the plot, so please do not be overly meticulous in your research.

2. The male lead was originally the biggest fan of the female lead and the male supporting character's CP—the female lead's dream male fan.

3. The reborn woman is not portrayed negatively; her perspective differs from the main character's.