Chapter 30 (Combined Chapter 30)

Although Miaozhen felt that saving people was a deed worth recording, she was also very discreet, knowing that it was a private matter within the household, so she never spoke of it. Everyone assumed that it was the master who, out of filial piety, had Miaozhen's act of curing the old lady's palpitations recorded.

When Sister Ji Zhen got home, she bragged about her colleague, and Mrs. Dong happened to come over for a visit and heard about it, so she also told her daughter about it.

Miaoyun, who was standing nearby, heard this and for some reason felt very happy for Miaozhen.

When the two sisters met that day, she didn't know if Miaozhen recognized her, but no one mentioned her. Miaoyun was very grateful to Miaozhen.

Looking back now, I realize that the days in Suzhou were actually the happiest. Although my parents had occasional arguments, we managed to get by.

"Did you hear what I said?" Miss Dong asked.

Miaoyun then came to her senses: "I heard it."

Miss Dong is actually quite good-looking, but Miaoyun was born with a noble air, and her every move was naturally ladylike. When she went out, people thought Miaoyun was a young lady, which made Miss Dong very unhappy.

Fortunately, Miaoyun seemed to know these things, so she always wore simple clothes when she came, trying not to make Miss Dong dislike her. Now she has learned how to hide her sharpness and will not be like before.

Unfortunately, Miss Dong had no intention of letting her off the hook. "Sister Xu, it will be the twelfth lunar month in a month. I'm telling you this out of kindness, I'm getting married next year. You'll have to find another place to live after the New Year, so there's no need for you to come. My mother didn't say anything because she was afraid you wouldn't do your best in the last month."

Miaoyun actually knew all along, but she needed the monthly allowance to get through the New Year. To be fair, the allowance from the Dong family was quite high, five taels of silver a month. But there was a lot to do. To put it bluntly, she was just a higher-class maid, and she was constantly being inexplicably stabbed like this. She was actually quite upset. With only one month left before she could leave, she felt somewhat relieved and almost laughed out loud.

But in front of Miss Dong, she quietly said, "Don't worry, I will definitely do my best."

Miss Dong knew she was resentful, but what could she do? From the moment of birth, everyone's identity was predetermined. If you're not happy about it, go find your parents.

After saying that, she pointed to the silk in front of her and said to Miaoyun, "Your craftsmanship is good, please make me a few more pairs of shoes, and they must all be embroidered."

Miaoyun still had to weave cloth with her mother at night, but now that Miss Dong had asked her to make shoes, she thought she could just stay up a little longer.

She didn't return until dark. The wind was biting cold. Her father, wearing an old felt hat, no longer the handsome young man he once was, stood in front of her, shielding her from the wind. The father and daughter passed a small stall selling wontons. Xu Yiming, worried that his daughter might be hungry, said, "Your father made a small fortune today. Someone was having a funeral today and took a bolt of cloth from me. I usually only buy small pieces, but today I sold a whole bolt. Let's have a bowl of wontons here, you and I."

Miaoyun nodded firmly.

For some reason, this roadside stall wasn't glamorous at all; the rotten wooden table was greasy. But the bubbling soup and the light white wontons were so comforting that even the scallions seemed extra lovely.

"Dad, I might not be able to work next month after I finish this job," Miaoyun finally said.

Xu Yiming wasn't surprised, and even laughed: "It's good that we can have a good New Year at home. Even if the sky falls, your mother and I are still here. Don't worry about home. Anyway, a peaceful life is just fine."

A matchmaker came to visit today. The conditions are not bad. The man's family owns a Liu Chen shop, and the business is doing well. Although he is a little short, he is handsome. What's wrong with such an ordinary life?

But Miaoyun didn't want a life of constant toil, with her neck bent in a strange way, her back hunched, and a bunch of children always around her.

In those days, what difference was there between humans and cattle/horses?

Although she impersonated Qiu Niangzi's disciple, she taught herself cooking, studied scriptures, and even improved her painting skills. It can be said that she is now no worse than Qiu Niangzi's real disciple.

Why should she be treated like this? Her life shouldn't be like this.

On the winter solstice of that year, Miaozhen received the same allowance as before, but she received many gifts from various places. Aunt Fang sent a bolt of light red silk and a bolt of blue brocade, while Madam Ji sent two gold-painted fans, two bolts of Beijing silk, and four handkerchiefs with plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum designs. Not to mention the several stewardesses in the mansion, one or two of whom she had cured, all of whom received handkerchiefs as a gift.

Miaozhen asked Gu Mama to invite a tailor to make a jacket, a shirt, a cloak, cotton trousers, and knee-length trousers for her and her two maids.

Xiao Xi spent money to have the kitchen prepare several more dishes that Miao Zhen loved, and Xiao Tao somehow got some fruit wine. The three of them closed the door to celebrate the Winter Solstice, which was both lively and secluded from the world.

"Young lady, you are truly remarkable. I had previously misunderstood you for always going to the pharmacy when you had nothing to do. When the pharmacy couldn't dispense the medicine, you even paid for it yourself to be dispensed by someone outside. I never imagined it would actually come in handy." Xiao Xi thought that it was such an honor for a girl who was not yet fifteen years old to have her name engraved on a stone tablet by a high-ranking official like the governor.

Upon hearing this, Miaozhen said, "I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win."

However, he couldn't go home for the New Year again this year. Perhaps because he missed his family, after the winter solstice, Laiwang and his assistant Li brought sixteen baskets of Dongting red oranges to the household and also sent a letter home to Miaozhen.

The letter asked how she was doing and when he could come to pick her up. Her family had arranged a marriage for her, and the man's background was described in great detail. He first introduced his family background, then said that he was very handsome, a scholar, from a wealthy family, and had an older brother and a younger brother. His older brother was already married, and his wife's surname was Han. He was very enthusiastic.

After putting down the letter, Miao's heart pounded wildly, not with romantic feelings, but because these few pieces of paper had decided her fate.

But she looked at the letter again. Her father had found a "tall, rich, and handsome" man according to modern standards. It was really strange. How could a poor family like theirs successfully arrange a marriage with someone like that?

It should be noted that local "Brahmins" seek out families with a strong local background and at least real power, and the Xu family does not qualify.

A few days ago, Third Grandmother intended to help her find a marriage partner. The partner was a relative of Third Grandmother's aunt and sister-in-law, from a wealthy family in Nanjing. They met once, but nothing came of it after that.

Third Grandma was a little embarrassed to see her. She thought Miaozhen was actually quite good-looking, with excellent medical skills, a comfortable life, and loving parents. She never expected people these days to be so arrogant.

Clearly, the man her father found was even better than what Third Grandmother had described. The Xiao family was in the tea business and also ran a herbal medicine shop. The young master Xiao was of similar age and appearance and was also a scholar.

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Miaozhen asked herself honestly, what was her opinion on this marriage? It was troublesome. In China's thousands of years of history, interpersonal relationships and social skills have been extremely important; no one is born with them, they are all honed through life's trials.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships are a headache just thinking about them.

But she also knew how lucky she was to have such responsible parents, who allowed her to have no worries or concerns.

Miaozhen wrote back, saying that Madam Ji was currently pregnant and she would probably have to wait until Madam Ji gave birth before she could leave.

She was about to write something or ask something, but in the end she didn't write anything.

After the letter dried, she had Xiaoxi take it to Laiwang, and then went to sleep without mentioning the engagement to anyone. However, when she woke up the next morning, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person could be praised as handsome by someone as particular as her father.

If only he were a little gentler, she would be even better. She is a person with a strong will and a sharp, incisive personality, so she hopes he would be a gentle and handsome man.

Even if they can't be mutually in love, they'll definitely feel comfortable together.

These romantic thoughts were completely forgotten once she was dressed. She first went to check the pulses of two pregnant women and inquired about their health, and then she also went to pay her respects to her third grandmother.

Grandma San arranged the Dongting red oranges sent by the Xu family on a tall plate, which looked very festive. She said to Miaozhen, "Thank you very much."

Grandma San is always very busy at the end of the year. However, after joking with Miaozhen for a few minutes, she went back to work. She only asked Miaozhen to do some moxibustion for her the next day to make her feel better, and Miaozhen naturally agreed.

In fact, Third Grandma's health wasn't iron, and it wasn't even very good, but she had to support the whole family and couldn't allow anyone to have any complaints. She had to be meticulous and strive for perfection in every detail.

She could arrange everything with ease, knowing exactly what to say to people of different statuses, what invitations to send, whether to accept gifts, how to reciprocate, and how to arrange banquets—everything was meticulously planned.

These things weren't exactly fantastical for Miaozhen, but the sheer amount of complicated matters gave her a headache, so it was already a favor if she could only help her with the accounts occasionally.

There's no way around it; one can't do two things at once. With that free time, she'd rather memorize more prescriptions and improve her skills.

Actually, when Mrs. Qin mentioned opening a pharmacy last time, Miaozhen denied it verbally, but a small flame was burning in her heart. If she really wanted to sell medicine, where would she go to sell it? If she opened a pharmacy, how would she organize it? What if she encountered troublesome thugs?

These thoughts gave her a headache, but she never tired of them.

Xu Erpeng also received a reply from his daughter. He said, "I will bring our daughter home before Qingming Festival next year."

Pressing down the letter, Xu Erpeng received a message from outside saying that it was Scholar Lu. He gave the letter to his wife and then went out. Although Lu Shi'an was dressed in a simple robe, he looked refined and elegant, with an extraordinary air about him.

"Please sit down, Young Master Lu." Xu Erpeng treated him very kindly and even had some Songluo tea served. He considerately did not mention Lu Shi'an's travel expenses to the capital, but only talked to him about the local customs and culture of Nanjing.

Lu Shi'an seemed well-mannered and spoke in a gentle and pleasant manner, but in the end he still revealed what was on his mind: "A real man should settle down and start a family before establishing a career. I was fortunate enough to pass the exam this time, which can be considered as making a contribution. It is a good thing for the elders in the family to let the younger generation settle down early."

He, a normally composed person, was quite shy at this moment.

Even Xu Erpeng, seeing this, felt a pang of pity: "Young Master Lu should also consider his marriage." He was about to say something more when Lu Shi'an said, "I have often heard that Miss Lu is a compassionate healer and will surely bring blessings to many in the future. Therefore, I greatly admire Miss Lu. May I ask—"

Xu Erpeng patted him on the shoulder: "My daughter is already engaged to the Xiao family in this city."

Lu Shi'an's face was somewhat pale, but he still asked with considerable composure, "Is it the Xiao family from Lilac Lane?"

“Yes.” Xu Erpeng nodded. He knew that Lu Shi’an was quite talented, but his family was struggling financially. Even if he passed the imperial examination in the capital, it would cost five or six hundred taels of silver to bribe officials. Where would the Lu family get that much money? Thinking of this, he took out the ten taels of silver he had prepared earlier and encouraged him, “Young Master Lu, this is just a small token of my appreciation. I wish you success in the examination.”

Sometimes, people who write detective novels have very accurate intuition. Although he didn't have a close relationship with Lu Shi'an, he felt that Lu was a vengeful and vindictive person. Xu Erpeng thought he had done a good job, as long as he didn't make Lu hold a grudge. Everyone resolved the matter peacefully.

Little did they know that as soon as Lu Shi'an came out, his eyes darkened, and he muttered a curse under his breath: "You filthy bitch."

Li, who was walking towards him, thought he had misheard. Such foul language should not come from someone like Lu Shi'an, right?

After seeing Lu Shi'an off, Xu Erpeng visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Mei asked with some concern, "Did he get angry or make a scene?"

"No, he has already passed the imperial examination, and I think that's why he wants to arrange a marriage with my family. Don't worry, I've already given him ten taels of silver as a donation. Since he's accepted my money, he can't say anything more," Xu Erpeng said with a smile.

Madam Mei knew that her husband was exceptionally intelligent, and that his inner cunning was completely opposite to his amiable appearance. Take this marriage of their daughter, for example. The Tong family thought they had everything under control, while the Zhao family of the carriage and horse shop asked a relative of the Xiao family to help with the matchmaking. Both families were stronger than hers, but in the end, her family won. This was the result of her husband's careful planning.

First, he inquired with the Xiao family's sycophants, then bribed Aunt Mo, and finally, when he happened to meet Master Xiao the Second at the Chamber of Commerce, he inadvertently took out the Cheng family's invitation, showing his relationship with the Cheng family of Jinling. Only then did the Xiao family come over and place their bet.

Because their daughter wasn't considered a good match, the husband had a portrait painted for her at the Ma family's photography studio next door. Her beauty, which was only six or seven out of ten, made her look like a goddess from heaven.

Thinking of this, Madam Mei said, "Then let's wait for Zhenzhen to return and have her family send tea gifts. Can we start preparing the dowry now?"

"I've made up my mind. I'll make two beds for my daughter, one rosewood and one sandalwood. The antique style is all the rage these days, so let's not go for too much carving. Let's imitate the style of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and make one huanghuali moon-shaped canopy bed. We'll also make a fashionable Nanjing-style canopy bed, and start adding gilded chests and other decorative items." Xu Erpeng waved his hand and began to get to work.

Madam Mei smiled and said, "It's almost Laba Festival, I should send some festival gifts to the Xiao family first."

On Laba Festival, the Qin family invited Miaozhen over. It is said that the relationship between people is actually very strange. She did not have anyone in the Cheng family with whom she could particularly confide, but she got along very well with Mrs. Qin.

“My family arranged a marriage for me. On one hand, I feel that it’s great to be able to go home, after all, I left home to study medicine at a young age and I really miss my parents. But on the other hand, I feel very uncomfortable about becoming someone’s wife.” Miaozhen herself couldn’t figure out what she was thinking.

Mrs. Qin held up two fingers: "I got married when I was twenty. When I got married, I always felt empty inside and was not used to it. I cried so much when I got into the bridal sedan chair that my makeup was ruined and my eyes bulged like a toad. But later I gradually let go of it and I am doing quite well now. You don't need to be too resistant to it. It may not be bad."

"Of course I know that. My father will definitely find me a suitable husband, but no matter how suitable he is, he will never be as comfortable as when I am alone." Miaozhen understood.

Mrs. Qin pushed two kinds of dried fruit in front of Miaozhen: "You live a very comfortable life in a family with strict rules like the Cheng family, let alone a merchant family. Don't worry unnecessarily."

Miaozhen felt relieved. She realized that it would be difficult to open a pharmacy in public, but she could set up a family workshop at home, just like Master Tan.

She keeps some medicinal herbs at home, and charges a consultation fee if someone invites her to come and see her.

The two talked for a while, and then Miaozhen took her pulse and checked her belly: "You seem to be doing well. If anything happens, you must ask me to come over in the future."

Childbirth is a life-threatening ordeal for women. Ordinary illnesses are not enough to demonstrate one's skills. Only by treating more difficult and complicated diseases can one achieve success and save more patients.

When Miaozhen returned from Mrs. Qin's place, she saw Chunxian coming over. Before she could speak, Chunxian said, "Miss Xu, come with me quickly. When my sister-in-law was giving birth, the midwife tore the fetus because it was difficult for the baby to come out. Now the baby is bleeding profusely. I'm afraid only you can save her."

"You can't test it with your hands during production." Miaozhen was speechless.

Chunxian was also extremely anxious and on the verge of exploding: "What should we do?"

"I can only treat him to the point of being unable to do anything. If the medicine is ineffective, don't blame me." Miaozhen also focused her mind instantly. She had to make the unpleasant point clear upfront.

Chunxian said, "Now it seems that only you are good at this. Last time, Aunt Fang was pregnant and was poisoned, and you saved her. Don't worry, I will definitely repay you in the future."

Miaozhen waved her hand: "Let's not talk about this."

Fortunately, she didn't have bound feet, so she walked very fast. Chunqian's older brother and sister-in-law lived in the western courtyard. Her brother managed the farmland that the old lady had given her as dowry, while her sister-in-law managed the needlework workshop. Although they lived in a small courtyard, they were still better off than the poor families outside.

Seeing Miaozhen approach, her brother quickly bowed, and Miaozhen hurried inside.

There was a strong smell of urine mixed with blood in Chunxian's room. Miaozhen reached out to stop her sister-in-law from exchanging pleasantries and said, "Let me ask you, sister-in-law, when did it begin? Was it because you were born with blood all over your body?"

"No, it wasn't that. At first, I needed to urinate, and I couldn't stop. Then there was blood in my urine." Sister Chunqian couldn't help but feel horrified as she spoke. She had finally given birth to a child, and she was really unwilling to hand him over to a stepmother.

Miaozhen asked her to extend her hand so she could take her pulse. While she was taking her pulse, the midwife said from the side, "There was nothing we could do. Luckily, I used my hand to dig, and the baby was delivered safely."

Miaozhen scolded, "If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. How can you just use your hands to dig into a pregnant woman's birth canal? You'd probably cause more deaths during childbirth. Get out of here."

After taking her pulse, she said to Sister Chunxian, "The uterus is located below the belt meridian, in the middle of the lower abdomen, next to the bladder. That explains why you have trouble urinating. You can't use your hands to probe during childbirth, as that will definitely lead to a difficult delivery. You were already weak from the difficult delivery, and now you're even weaker after giving birth."

"So I'm going to use a method that greatly replenishes your qi and blood to regenerate them and help you recover gradually. But for now, you have to follow my instructions and not take any more folk remedies."

Chunxian hurriedly replied, "Please give your instructions, Miss Xu."

"Take one pig's bladder and one sheep's bladder, and boil them now. We'll use the broth to decoct the medicine later; this also has the effect of 'like cures like.' I'll also write a prescription called 'Wanbao Yin,' which contains Atractylodes macrocephala to strengthen the spleen, Ginseng and Astragalus membranaceus to replenish qi, Angelica sinensis and Ligusticum chuanxiong to nourish and invigorate blood, Prunus persica and Leonurus japonicus to remove blood stasis, and Bletilla striata to stop bleeding, promote tissue regeneration, heal sores, and relieve pain. I've tried this prescription, and it's better than others. Go and prepare it quickly." After Miaozhen finished speaking, she also wrote down the prescription.

Chunxian quickly took the prescription to her brother, who eagerly took it as if it were a treasure.

Miaozhen then came out and whispered to Chunxian, "I scolded that old woman a few times just now, afraid she would do something bad. Don't let her come. Let's talk about it after your sister-in-law is better."

"Thank you for reminding me." Chunxian was very grateful.

Miaozhen stepped outside, breathed in some fresh air, and felt much better.

About ten days later, Chunqian's sister-in-law finally improved a bit, and Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief. In this case, if the uterus had completely ruptured, surgery would have been necessary, but medical conditions were limited at the moment, and she herself was very worried. Besides, Chunqian's sister-in-law was not in such a serious condition yet.

She visited her every two days and, seeing that she was feeling a little better, she used acupuncture on five acupoints—Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao, Yinbai, Xuehai, and Taichong—to help stop the bleeding.

Sister Chunxian saw Miaozhen as if she had seen a savior: "Miss Xu, I'm much better now, thank you so much."

"This is my duty, there's nothing to thank me for," Miaozhen said with a smile.

Sister Chunxian said, "You saved my life, yet you remain so indifferent. If it were anyone else, they would be boasting about it."

Miaozhen thought to herself, "I'm afraid I won't be able to cure her! As long as she does her job conscientiously and doesn't get scolded, that's better than anything else."

But Chunxian, who had risen to the position of the old lady's head maid, was very worldly-wise. She brought two pairs of purses, each containing gold ingots with begonia flower patterns. She also gave her six jade pendants: one with a peony pattern, one with the Three Friends of Winter in white jade, one with a plum blossom and ruyi pattern in white jade, one with a double fish pattern in yellow jade, and two fish-shaped jade pendants.

Miaozhen couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it. Chunxian said that she had many good things from the old lady, and told her not to be polite, and that she could come to her if she had any troubles in the future.

She thought it strange that maids like Banxia Chunxian were so generous and grateful to her, while mistresses like the First and Third Madams were so stingy!