Chapter 23 (Combined Chapter 23)

As the winter solstice approached, Miaozhen and the others also received festival gifts: a bolt of silk in the color of the sea and sky, a bolt of bright red silk, two feet of hemp cloth, two catties of cotton, a bowl of rice flour dumplings, and a bottle of peach blossom vinegar.

What's rare about this silk is that the color is so good. Miaozhen put it away and said to Xiaoxi and Xiaotao, "Let's use the cotton to make some shoes and socks. We'll take out some scraps of satin after we finish eating the glutinous rice balls."

No sooner had she finished speaking than another person came to deliver a gift. Zhang Ma, who was in charge of the kitchen, had a daughter who was having prolonged menstrual bleeding and wanted to invite her to get acupuncture. So, she brought a roast goose, a box of snowflake cakes, and a bottle of sesame oil.

Miaozhen said, "Have someone come to me at Shenshi (3-5 PM) tomorrow."

Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Doctor Xu."

After she left, Xiaoxi and Xiaotao took knives to cut the roast goose and eat it, both thinking that life was getting better and better with their young lady. Miaozhen then put a goose leg and wing on a plate, and also put a plate of snowflake cake, and said to Xiaoxi, "After you finish eating, take this to Zisu in the tea room later."

Zisu was one of the maids in the tea room who prepared medicine. After more than three months of interaction, Miaozhen felt that she was a good person and was willing to deal with her. After all, sometimes when she was busy, she still needed the tea room to help her prepare medicine.

"Zisu is a good person, she knows right from wrong. But that Pin Hong, she thinks she's so high and mighty. You're brewing medicine for the masters, not for us. It's like we're begging her!" Xiao Xi couldn't stand people like that.

Miaozhen said, "Why bother with her? If there are any delays, let the other households settle accounts with her. What does it have to do with us? One day, she'll surely cause trouble."

After the group ate at one place, Xiao Xi took them to the tea room. The three of them then closed the door and made cotton socks and embroidered shoes together. The cotton socks were made of Songjiang standard cloth, which was very comfortable to wear, while the embroidered shoes were made of satin with auspicious cloud patterns.

Such moments are so cozy. Xiao Tao said, "It's rare for us to have such a leisurely time. Speaking of which, Miss and Sister Li are always running around, but that Miss Yu always makes excuses."

"I know what to do in what position. She's already like this before she's even reached that point. I wonder what will become of her in the future." Miaozhen was also angry. Every time someone came to Yu Zhoujin, she would push this person away and that person away. It was mostly Li Yao'e and Miaozhen who did it.

Taking advantage of the light, Miaozhen finished pasting the shoe uppers, then applied some soybean oil, and began sewing the soles under the lamp. Xiaotao snatched the opportunity to sew the soles, saying, "Your hands aren't for rough work."

Miaozhen lay down on the bed and said, "We can't go back for the New Year this year. We might get some rewards and things during the New Year, so the three of us can have a good New Year. Besides, it's not that I'm cursing people to get sick. Getting sick in winter, coughing, and catching a cold are not to mention, eating too much meat and fish every day can easily cause diarrhea. I'll be busy with that."

To her surprise, the next morning, the First Madam, the Second Madam, and the Third Madam were all waiting at her door. Miaozhen was startled and quickly asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Mama, who was standing next to Madam Zeng, spoke first: "Our Madam Zeng would like to invite Physician Xu over to discuss something."

Miaozhen said, "Then I'll have the maid carry the medicine box." She then said to the second and third wives' servants, "I'll go over there one by one later. Or if you have an emergency, you can go to Sister Li or Miss Yu next door."

"Doctor Xu, you are the most skilled in gynecology. Everyone in the family knows this now. Asking others won't help," said Huan'er, the second wife's maid.

"Okay, I'll go over after I've seen it." Following the order of seniority is always the right thing to do.

Miaozhen first followed Zhao Mama to the main room. It turned out that Zeng Shi wanted her to help regulate the menstrual cycles of the two young ladies. She pointed at Cheng Yuan and said, "She only gets her period once every three months. Although it is neither delayed nor postponed, it is different from others. Normal people get their period once a month."

"Third Miss, is the amount you come in about the same each time?" Miaozhen asked Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan nodded, blushing.

Miaozhen took her pulse and then smiled and said, "This is not an illness, but rather a natural gift. Not every woman in this world has her period once a month; some have it once a season. As long as the timing and amount of menstruation are the same, then there is no problem."

Then there was the fourth daughter, Cheng Shu. Zeng said, "Every time before my period, I have abdominal pain that lasts for several days before my period comes. After my period comes, there are also dark purple spots. My family gave me donkey-hide gelatin and red dates, but they were completely ineffective."

After taking her pulse, Miaozhen said, "This is liver fire stagnation, not caused by cold invasion. You can't take any tonics. I'll prescribe Xuan Yu Tong Jing Tang first. Take it for seven days before your period, and try it for half a year."

After saying that, he wrote the medical record here first, and then rewrote the prescription and handed it to Zhao's mother.

Then he took his leave and hurried to the second room.

After she left, Cheng Yuan deliberately said to Zeng Shi, "Mother, although Miss Xu is our family's servant, her medical skills are superb, and such a person deserves to be treated with respect."

“I already rewarded you with two pieces of clothing last time, there’s no need to go to such lengths,” Madam Zeng said noncommittally.

Cheng Yuan thought to herself that her mother was just like that, preferring to spend money on praying to gods and Buddhas, and looking down on everyone else, unlike Aunt Zhu, who was very good at winning over the servants. So she said, "This doctor saves lives. Only she cured your old illness. What are two sets of clothes? You gave that Aunt Hu even more."

Madam Zeng glanced at her daughter: "You're making fun of me now."

"We'll make arrangements for my sister after she takes her medicine next month," Cheng Yuan said, having no other choice.

When Miaozhen arrived at the second wife's house, she saw that the second wife had invited her in and then dismissed the servants, seemingly having something difficult to say. Miaozhen thought to herself, "It's so cold outside, I need to finish treating her quickly and get out."

Therefore, he said, "As the saying goes, a doctor's heart is like a parent's. You can tell me anything you need. I never reveal anyone's illness."

The second wife and the second master had a very good relationship; it would be an exaggeration to say that they were a perfect match. However, she also had a problem: she would bleed profusely after every sexual intercourse. Although it didn't reach the point of hemorrhage, it still caused damage to both her blood and qi.

She didn't go with her husband because of her health.

Hearing Miaozhen say this, hesitantly voiced his opinion.

After listening, Miaozhen said with a serious face, "If you don't get treatment for this illness soon, the continuous bleeding over the years may lead to amenorrhea."

The second wife panicked upon hearing this: "What should we do?"

"To be honest, this kind of illness is caused by having sex during menstruation as usual." Miaozhen had to make things clear first.

But she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, while the second wife was around forty. The second wife dared not take this lightly, because Miaozhen's words hit the nail on the head.

Her attitude became respectful: "Miss Xu, what should I do?"

“Blood vessels are the most fragile, so we need to first clear the uterus, then draw out the previous stagnant fluids, and use medicines to replenish qi and essence. In this way, the blood vessels can heal, and your illness will be cured,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the second wife looked at Miaozhen and said, "If you cure my ailment, good child, I will surely reward you handsomely."

"Thank you in advance. This prescription is called the 'Semen-Guiding and Hemostatic Decoction.' Ginseng and Atractylodes macrocephala can replenish qi, Cornus officinalis and Rehmannia glutinosa can replenish essence and blood, Poria cocos and Plantago asiatica can open the orifices, and Phellodendron amurense can clear heat and dry dampness, allowing it to directly enter the Chong and Ren meridians and the uterus. Schizonepeta tenuifolia can draw out stagnant blood, and roasted ginger charcoal can stop bleeding. You should take four doses first. If you feel better, take six more doses. However, after you recover, you must abstain from sexual activity for three months, otherwise the cycle will repeat itself," Miaozhen said.

The second wife breathed a sigh of relief after hearing it explained so clearly.

After leaving the second wife, we went to the third wife. The third wife was a bit younger than Madam Mei, with high cheekbones and a slightly yellow complexion. Her problem was simple: infertility.

Miao Zhen thought that neither Banxia nor the two concubines, Huang and Lin, were pregnant, so the Third Madam was not actually seriously ill. She was not so foolish as to claim that the Third Master had a problem, so she said, "Winter is coming, so you should eat some warm and nourishing foods first."

"Miss Xu, aren't you going to prescribe some medicine for me?" the Third Madam asked.

Miao Zhen thought to herself, "Why would I prescribe medicine if you're not sick?" But she could only rephrase it as, "Humans eat grains and cereals, and food therapy is better than medicine."

She hadn't expected anyone to beg for medicine, but the Third Madam insisted that Miaozhen perform acupuncture on her. Miaozhen was hungry, so she had no choice but to perform moxibustion on her for a while before going back.

After returning home, Xiao Xi changed her clothes and said, "To be honest, although Banxia is a maid, she is very generous. This Third Madam is a mistress, but she is the stingiest. You helped her with moxibustion for so long, and she didn't even give you a sip of tea, let alone a reward."

“Some people may not respect us in their hearts, but they put on a good show. Some people don’t care about others at all, treating people like plants and trees. Little do they know that plants and trees also have emotions.” Even the little maids that Miaozhen brought with her were quite considerate of her.

Xiao Xi asked Xiao Tao to take her clothes and hang them up, and then she re-scented them. Miao Zhen opened the food box and saw that the lunch was still warm. She buried her head and ate her own food first.

With her stomach full, Miaozhen felt more energetic. Just then, Gu Mama came over and said that her family had arrived. Miaozhen followed Gu Mama out and learned that her father had sent a servant named Laiwang, who had also brought a letter. Miaozhen first gave him a string of cash to stay at an inn, and then returned to write back, saying that she would not be going back home for the New Year this year. She also said that she was doing very well at the Cheng family's house and that they should not worry. She asked Laiwang to bring some Buddhist scriptures printed on white cotton paper next time he came, as the ladies and grandmothers here were all Buddhists.

After saying this, he had someone wrap the red brocade robe with chrysanthemum, lotus and camellia patterns and the delicate green satin skirt, a piece of dark-patterned satin, two gold-embroidered handkerchiefs, and a pair of silver hairpins, which were given to him by the First Madam, in felt cloth. The next day, he sent them back to Laiwang along with the letter, and also gave him two boxes of rock sugar sesame cakes to take back with him.

Laiwang found it strange that his daughter had received so many things in just over three months since arriving at the Cheng family in August.

Perhaps it was her father's earnest advice, telling her to endure for another year, that made Miaozhen burst into tears. After wiping away her tears, she went to see the Fourth Miss and the Second Madam for a follow-up appointment. No matter what, she had to do her job well.

When the second mistress saw that she had come despite the strong wind, she specially rewarded her with a sea otter fur rabbit figurine and invited her to stay for a meal. Just then, the fifth young master came to pay his respects, and Miaozhen quickly went behind the screen. She only came out after the fifth young master had left.

The fifth young master was the second wife's biological son, a year younger than Miaozhen. He was a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth. But Miaozhen was very clear about her identity. She was here to work, not to find love. She had to avoid suspicion, otherwise she would cause unnecessary trouble and all her work would be for nothing.

The second wife was very pleased with Miaozhen's manners. She was always worried that her son would be seduced by those young girls. Seeing that Miaozhen was dressed simply, she felt that the child did not have the scheming thoughts of others.

Afterwards, when Miaozhen arrived at her room, she saw that Huan'er, the head maid of the Second Madam, had brought her a set of thick fur clothes: a lotus-red velvet satin gray squirrel cloak, an oil-green brocade skirt, a bright red gray squirrel jacket, and a silver-threaded cloud-shaped hairpin.

Miaozhen gave Huan'er fifty coins as a reward, then closed the door and tried it out. It was very warm. Although the gray squirrel wasn't as good as the silver squirrel, it was still quite nice. Besides, the velvet satin was the kind that wouldn't get wet in the rain, not to mention the silver-threaded cloud-shaped hairpin, which was also unique and beautiful.

But after she had her fill, she had it packed away in a trunk and changed back into her own white silk jacket, covered with a silver-red vest and a turquoise skirt.

If I go out, I'll change into the lotus-silk jacket that Banxia gave me, paired with a lotus-silk flower and bird cloak. This way, I'll be both elegant and won't attract attention.

After lunch, Miaozhen saw Xiaotao help her sew up her cotton shoes. She tried them on and they fit perfectly. She stretched and prepared to take a nap, but then someone knocked on the door. They said it was Yu Zhoujin who had brought them over; the fourth young master's eldest maid was sick.

The fourth young master was born to the eldest son, Consort Zhu, and besides, the one treating him was a maid. Yu Zhoujin felt that this would lower his status, so he simply refused to help.

Miaozhen held back. She immediately had Xiaotao carry the medicine box over. When she got to the door, she said to Gu's mother, "What's going on? Why do you call me every time you go out for a consultation? That lady is from the typhoid department, but you don't go to treat her."

Mother Gu said, "What can we do? Just bear with it, young lady."

And so, Miaozhen braved the wind and frost to go.

Yu Zhoujin sat on the incense burner. Hearing that Miaozhen had gone out, he smiled and said to Lingdang, "If I hadn't had that fight with the tea server last time, would they have been so willing to go so easily? Besides, it's not like I didn't do anything."

As soon as Xiao Lingdang looked up, she saw that someone was inviting her from Miss Qin's place. She immediately followed the same method and sent the person to Li Yao'e. Li Yao'e bit her lip but didn't say anything.

Li Yao'e and Miao Zhen met at the door after returning from their separate medical appointments. Both felt tired and cold, and were quite dissatisfied with Yu Zhoujin.

Yu Zhoujin was unaware that when he invited them over to play cards at dinner, Miaozhen smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Never mind, I need to organize my medical records first. Sister, go find someone else."

They didn't completely break off relations, but when it came time to make house calls at night, Miaozhen stopped going out: "I've made house calls late at night three times in a row, why are you still looking for me? There are other people too."

Although Li Yao'e hadn't informed Miao Zhen and was pretending to be asleep, Cui Yu, being a clever woman, pointed to the far east and said, "That one hasn't gone out during the day and is conserving her energy. You should call her."

Seeing that neither of the two people got up, Yu Zhoujin, being a smart woman, knew she had angered the crowd, so she slowly moved away.

Soon it was December, and Miaozhen went to the fourth daughter of the eldest son's family to tell her that she could start taking her medicine, and to take it for seven days and then see. Strangely enough, usually there were no gifts when she came, but this time Zhao Mama, who served the eldest wife, brought a sky-blue silk crane cloak.

Feather satin and gauze are better than daluo and basil. This piece is half-old; even if it were new, it would be worth at most seven or eight taels of silver. This piece is already half-old; if you take it to a pawnshop, you'd probably only get one tael of silver at most.

To be honest, if it were based on one house call, she would have received two ounces of money even if she went ten times and was charged normally.

No wonder everyone is willing to run errands for the second wife. Sometimes, Miao Zhen thinks that as a servant herself, she finally understands what it feels like to be a servant.

After Zhao Mama left, the people around the Third Miss gave her a pair of gold lantern earrings and a pair of goldfish-shaped canes.

Xiao Xi said, "This third young lady is quite a nice person. Last time I delivered something to her, she specially asked me to stay and talk for a long time, and said how much she admired you."

"I understand." Miaozhen nodded slightly.

It was Laba Festival again, and we ate Laba porridge. Miaozhen tried her best to finish treating all the patients with problems before nightfall, otherwise, if she went out to make house calls at night, it would be easy for the doctor herself to fall ill.

Before, Yu Zhoujin always pushed people towards her and Li Yao'e. Later, almost everyone from the Second Madam and the First Madam's side would ask Miaozhen and the others to go see the place. The First Madam was fine, she would give a reward once every thirty or forty visits. The Second Madam was very generous, and Miaozhen's reputation in the mansion increased greatly.

Even the housekeeper, Madam Ruan, had heard of Miaozhen's name. This time, when she was feeling unwell, she didn't call for Li Yao'e, but instead called for Miaozhen.

Xiao Ruan was very beautiful, with a radiant spirit and a slender figure, as thin as a lamp. She said to Miao Zhen, "I have a mass in my lower abdomen. I have taken many medicines, such as dry lacquer pills, myrrh pills, and water-filled pills, but it is still the same after three years."

“Okay, then I’ll press your button first,” Miaozhen said.

Of course, Xiao Ruan wasn't shy around a young girl. After Miao Zhen helped her lie down, she pressed on the lump and asked, "Does it hurt here?"

"Sometimes it feels swollen, and it hurts a lot when I press on it." Little Ruan is in charge of the whole family, and her own health isn't actually very good, but she has to put on a brave face and not let anyone know.

Seeing that her tongue felt very hard, Miaozhen took her pulse and found it to be deep and hesitant, with a thick tongue coating and a purplish tinge. She then asked, "Does Third Grandmother usually experience dry mouth and throat?"

Little Ruan quickly replied, "It's always like this."

Miaozhen then inquired about her menstrual cycle, and indeed it was often delayed. She couldn't help but say, "This is a case of blood stasis, which can only be treated with both external and internal remedies."

After saying that, she added, "Because I need to perform moxibustion on you, I will perform moxibustion on five acupoints in total, and each acupoint will require fourteen moxa cones. Each acupoint will take about two hours, so these five acupoints will take ten hours. Please call me over when you are free."

Madam Ruan sighed, "There are so many things to do during the New Year holidays."

She still wanted to get better as soon as possible, because Miaozhen clearly didn't chat or talk nonsense, and the diagnosis was very clear.

Miaozhen didn't say much, but Xiao Ruanshi said, "Then let's start on the tenth. We'll begin early in the morning. If it's evening, you don't need to go back."

"Okay, let me tell you, after moxibustion you cannot be exposed to wind, cannot take a bath, and cannot eat raw or cold food. You must eat breakfast half an hour before moxibustion," Miaozhen instructed.

Seeing that it was a small matter, Xiao Ruan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Come and eat with us earlier, and we can start after we've finished eating."

After the two agreed on the terms, Miaozhen prescribed Xiangsha Tiaozhong Decoction and Zhishi Pills.

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, she went to the pharmacy to get some moxa wool and kept rubbing the moxa sticks until she filled an entire wicker box. She hadn't thought her medical skills were anything special before, but now, with gradual diagnosis and wholehearted dedication, she felt her skills were quite good. If the Cheng family could help her gain fame, she could become a renowned doctor even at a young age, and the treatment she would receive would be extraordinary.

On the morning of the eleventh day of the lunar month, Miaozhen arrived. Unexpectedly, Cheng Junxian was also there. She quickly went to the side room first, and only came in after Cheng Junxian left.

When someone invites you to have breakfast together, it's just a polite gesture. Miaozhen had some pastries first before coming over.

So when Xiao Ruan called her to eat, she declined, saying it wasn't necessary. As Xiao Ruan hurriedly ate her rice, people kept coming in from outside, and she said, "The ones for the capital have already been sent over."

When she was almost finished, Miaozhen reminded her, "Third Grandmother, we can begin now."

You can ask patients about their daily moods to understand their condition, but once you leave that area, you shouldn't pry into their private lives. Sometimes, once you get to know someone, you tend to be more talkative, which can actually make them dislike you.

Especially when there is an imbalance of status, caution is paramount.

"I'll first apply moxibustion to your Shangwan acupoint. If you feel unwell, please let me know," Miaozhen said.

Perhaps it was because Xiao Ruan's body was too cold, but she felt very comfortable. At the same time, she was watching Miao Zhen, who was doing moxibustion for her, with a very focused expression. Sweat was beading on her forehead, and she didn't even notice that the edges of her silver-red nail polish were coming undone.

But when asked, he revealed himself to be a very reserved person: "You also attended a girls' school?"

“I studied for a few years. My husband is the wife of Qiu, the sister of Qiu, who is now the Sichuan Provincial Councilor,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

Madam Ruan hurriedly said, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Our family and our enemy family used to have some dealings."

Miaozhen behaved very simply and honestly. Seeing that she was clever in her work and humble in her conduct, Xiao Ruanshi developed a good impression of her.

She did moxibustion on two acupoints in the morning, rested for a while after eating, and then continued. The person doing the moxibustion couldn't move, and Miaozhen herself was also very tired, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, because she had to be worthy of the money she was paid.

During this time, Xiao Ruan would complain that she had been doing too much moxibustion, and she had to explain it to her again and again. Finally, they reached Xinglong acupoint, the last acupoint. It was already completely dark, and she was hungry, tired, and sweating profusely.

Fortunately, after gritting her teeth and persevering, it was already past midnight when she finally managed to stand up. She curled up in the maid's room and lay down. At first, she couldn't fall asleep, but after sleeping for two hours, she saw that it was dawn before she led her people back.

After returning home, he fell asleep immediately and didn't get up until noon. About ten days later, Madam Ruan sent someone with twenty taels of silver, along with several pieces of clothing wrapped in felt cloth. These included a silver fox fur cloak with a bright red velvet exterior, a bright red feather satin jacket, a white silk coat, a gold-embroidered vest, and a gold-embroidered skirt.

The New Year's gifts were more substantial than those for the Winter Solstice. She had just learned that the Winter Solstice gifts were just a standard allowance; the New Year's gifts included two bolts of silk, two bolts of Leizhou kudzu, one bolt of blue gauze, a pair of gold and silver ingots, and two food boxes.

Miaozhen tidied up her savings. She had saved fourteen taels of monthly allowance, plus twenty taels from Xiao Ruanshi, and the pair of gold and silver ingots, totaling more than forty taels. In addition, the clothes and jewelry she had were quite valuable.

She was also quite adept at reciprocity, personally copying Buddhist scriptures and doing needlework, which she then delivered to the old ladies and other women.

During the New Year, everyone will pay their respects to the master of the mansion. Look at Li Yao'e, who has changed into a pomegranate red and gray squirrel cloak, and Miao Zhen, who has also changed into a lotus-red velvet satin and gray squirrel cloak given by the second madam. Only Yu Zhoujin, who usually acts like a young lady in front of them, is still wearing the peach-red satin cloak that the old lady's head maid gave her at the beginning.

Yu Zhoujin watched as they all upgraded their equipment and thought to himself that they were like poor people who had suddenly become rich. Little did he know that when they went to pay New Year's visits together, many people pulled Li Yao'e and Miaozhen aside to talk to them. Because she rarely saw patients and was impatient, no one paid any attention to her.

"You all just wait and see," Yu Zhoujin thought fiercely to himself.

But unexpectedly, after the New Year, they became even more unattainable for her.