Chapter 37 (combined with another chapter)

On September 12th, the He family from the lumber mill presented Miaolian with a betrothal gift, while Miaozhen sold a Great Sage Life-Saving Pill. These pills were made according to the "Formulas of the Bureau of Imperial Medical Services for the Benefit of the People," and were originally intended to be kept by her parents for their own use.

After all, my parents are getting older. What if they suddenly suffer a stroke and become paralyzed or develop epilepsy? This pill is for treating all kinds of wind-related illnesses, and we should always keep it at home. Little did we know that an old lady named Li, who was visiting, saw it and immediately spent two taels of silver to buy it.

Mrs. Ma next door wanted more, so Miaozhen had to say she'd wait until she got back.

In my little pharmacy, many people complain that the proper Er Chen Yin is too cheap, but they buy health supplements like Bao Shen San without batting an eye.

Xu Erpeng exclaimed, "Does everyone have to open a pharmacy? Pharmacies are quite profitable."

"This is nothing, just earning a little money to treat myself." Miaozhen shrugged and got into the carriage with her mother.

Now that there are five people in the family, they bought another horse-drawn carriage. One is for her father and brothers, and the other is for her and her mother, which makes things much more spacious for everyone.

Upon arriving at the old residence in Fengqiao, Madam Bao glanced at Madam Mei and Miaozhen, then quickly stepped forward with a smile and praised, "Zhenzhen looks even more beautiful today."

“Look at what Third Aunt is saying, you look beautiful today,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

Bao was not wearing the clothes given to her by Mei, and no one said what would happen to her. It was Mei who asked, "Aren't you wearing my clothes today?"

"Oh, Fengluan lent it to me. She said it was a set for six taels of silver. I was afraid of getting it dirty." Bao touched her hair, seemingly implying that what Mei gave her was too meager.

My cousin Fengluan was my maternal uncle's youngest daughter. Her marriage was quite a sensation. She brought 600 taels of silver with her as her dowry, which was a huge shock for them at that time. This cousin was very good at dressing up.

When Madam Mei heard this, she knew that Madam Bao had borrowed nice clothes but was now looking down on hers. She simply said, "Since Fengluan has lent them to you, I'll wrap up my clothes and jewelry for now and take them back later, so I don't forget them."

Miao Zhen, standing to the side, thought that her mother was not weak at all. In fact, her mother was not like this when she was young. Miao Zhen thought that she was probably influenced by her father. Because her maternal grandfather often said things like women should be obedient and that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent.

After the mother and daughter finished exchanging pleasantries with Madam Bao, they went inside. It was still Old Madam Xu who was sifting tea. Miaozhen quickly said, "Please don't bother. Why did we ask you to serve tea and water today?"

"If it's not me, then who is it? Your third uncle's business hasn't been doing very well lately, so he can't afford to hire servants," Old Mrs. Xu said, pleading poverty on behalf of her youngest son.

Miaozhen didn't bother to explain whether her third uncle's business was good or not, she just said, "I'll have my maid help serve the tea later."

To be honest, everyone just wanted the tea ceremony to go smoothly. In the Ming Dynasty, marriages progressed from the betrothal ceremony to the tea ceremony, and finally to the wedding. The tea ceremony was equivalent to the formal engagement.

Miaolian dressed up today as well. She had been learning how to wear hair ornaments, and today she gathered her hair into a bun in the middle, secured it with a row of hairpins, and decorated the surrounding area with small hairpins with insect and grass motifs. A ribbon was tied at the back, her eyebrows were drawn thinly, and her lips were drawn into a cherry-like shape.

"It looks great!" Miaozhen said with a smile.

Miaolian smiled and said, "It's alright, but I always feel like something's off about me."

Miaozhen smelled a strange odor in her breath and quickly asked, "Have you not eaten for several days?"

"My waist is too thick, and my face is too big, so I want to make it smaller so I can look better." Miaolian was also concerned about her appearance and didn't want people to criticize her looks.

Miaozhen understood: "You can't keep not eating like this. Look at your complexion, it's not good. Eating a little is fine, but you can't not eat at all. What if you faint?"

Upon hearing this, Miaolian rubbed her stomach and said, "I am indeed a little hungry."

"Then I'll have someone make you a bowl of noodles and bring it over, just a shallow bowl will do."

After Miaozhen finished speaking, she went down to talk to Bao Shi, who pointed behind her and said, "Tell Miaolian's uncle."

“But they have a large stove there and are cooking there, so they probably can’t move out. In that case, won’t Miaolian go hungry?” Miaozhen said.

Bao Shi actually left without caring about anything else. It was only because Old Lady Xu couldn't bear to see it and felt sorry for her granddaughter whom she had raised since she was a child that she and Miao Zhen cooked noodles and poached eggs together at the stove in the back.

"Zhenzhen, why don't you eat something too?" said Grandma Xu.

Miaozhen waved her hand: "I've eaten a lot before coming here. I'll bring it up later, so please don't climb the stairs anymore."

When the noodles were served, Miaolian couldn't hold back any longer. Miaozhen wondered if it was because her grandmother thought Bao Shi was incompetent at managing the household, so she always favored her youngest son.

Miaolian devoured the noodles in a flash, she was starving. Miaozhen waited for her to finish and handed her some tea: "Rinse your mouth and spit it out, that way your mouth will be free of odor."

As the cousins ​​were talking, Miaolian suddenly said, "I wonder where my eldest sister is? I wish she were here too."

"She's the prettiest among us sisters, and she'll definitely only get better and better in the future." Miaozhen only told her parents about seeing Miaoyun and hadn't told anyone else. Her parents weren't gossipy, so the other relatives didn't know.

As the two were talking, a short while later, Miaolian's cousins, who were relatives of Bao's maternal family, arrived, as did Xu's maternal uncle's family.

During this time, some people saw Miaozhen and asked Madam Mei, "Your daughter is such a beautiful girl, I wonder if she is betrothed yet?"

Madam Mei smiled and said, "The tea ceremony was just over in June, and I've already promised my love to someone."

Their family was actually very low-key and rarely mentioned their marriage to a wealthy family, for fear of sabotage. But then, Madam Bao interrupted, "Your maid is talking about the Xiao family, right? I heard they've been sending money to your house like water."

"No way, Auntie, don't joke around." Madam Mei was certain that Madam Bao was saying it on purpose.

But what impact can such quick-wittedness have? With a status like that of the Bao family, they don't even know which way the Xiao family's gate is; it's just that the Xu family themselves don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

Seeing that Madam Mei's expression remained unchanged, Madam Bao said to the people around her, "The Xiao family is a very wealthy family."

She thought her attempt to flatter and kill would have any effect, but Miaozhen saw through her trick and said, "Aunt Zhang, today is Miaolian's engagement day. Why do you keep mentioning me? It's not good to overshadow the main event like this."

Hearing Miaozhen's insightful words, Madam Bao was somewhat embarrassed and angry, but ultimately dared not say anything.

The atmosphere only improved when the He family arrived. A large group of He family members came, including He Xiaolang's parents, brother, sister-in-law, and uncle's family.

Miaozhen helped out, personally serving jujube tea to Mrs. He and her daughter-in-law, who quickly accepted it with both hands.

Immediately, the He family delivered the tea gifts: two hundred taels of silver, four bolts of red silk, a lacquered gauze auspicious cloud crown, silver-gilt bracelets, a pair of silver-gilt bracelets, a peach-red silk long-sleeved shirt, a blue-green cloud-patterned shawl, an oil-green long coat, and a long skirt.

After the jewelry and clothes are delivered, there will be two baskets of fruit, two boxes of silver thread noodles, six catties of pork, and a jar of Sanbai wine.

In Miaozhen's opinion, this was already very well prepared at her third uncle's request, but Bao Shi and Xu Sanshu had seen the betrothal gifts given by the Xiao family last time, and still felt that the He family was not good enough.

Little did they know that the He family wasn't happy either. They had emptied their pockets for this tea ceremony, and next year when the new bride arrived, they would have to renovate the house and borrow money again.

But thinking that the young couple would live happily ever after, they endured it.

He Xiaolang's gaze towards Miaolian was unmistakable. Miaolian, upon seeing the betrothal gifts, knew that the He family had done their utmost, and was very happy.

Miaolian's tea ceremony ended successfully, and Miaozhen was a little tired. She was about to go home and go to sleep when, unexpectedly, Madam Ru sent someone to invite her, saying that a patient needed her help to see him.

"Where did Master go?" Miaozhen asked.

The eldest nanny said, "Our mistress is going to offer incense and will be leaving soon. This was arranged, but now someone has come to invite her..."

Nowadays, it's common to see various societies forming, opening books and preaching, and going out to offer incense together. Some people even prepare for this one trip their whole lives. Miaozhen said, "Okay, I'll change my clothes and go. Please tell me the address, Auntie."

The eldest aunt left satisfied when she saw that Miaozhen had agreed.

She had been a little tired, but after changing her clothes, she felt much more energetic. She glanced at the address; this patient also lived in Dingxiang Lane, and it seemed her future husband's family also lived there, but she couldn't worry about that now.

It's fine if this marriage doesn't happen, but she would never abandon her martial arts skills.

Soon the carriage arrived at Lilac Lane. Before anyone could knock, the door opened and someone came out to greet them, saying, "Excuse me, are you Doctor Xu?"

“Exactly,” Miaozhen said.

"My wife has gone mad. She's talking nonsense, sometimes saying her bones hurt, sometimes saying she's dreaming about dead people. She's completely out of control." The visitor was also covered in sweat as he spoke.

Miaozhen calmly said, "Take me there first."

She walked quickly but not carelessly, following the old woman into the room, where teacups and other items were smashed to pieces. The sick woman looked to be in her forties. Before she could even take her pulse, she heard the person beside her say, "Our lady has had her period three times in the last two months."

"Have you taken any medicine before?" Miaozhen asked.

"After eating the Ten-Ingredient Soup, there's also the Double-Harmony Soup."

Miaozhen approached to take a look, but the sick woman suddenly ran in front of her, startling Miaozhen. Xiaoxi and Xiaotao were about to step forward, but Miaozhen stopped them.

"Please hold the lady down while I take a look."

Regardless, since she was already there, she had to get her treated. She took the patient's hand to check her pulse and couldn't help but frown. The left cun pulse was weak, and the right cun-guan pulse was slippery. The overall pulse was wiry and slow.

Then the servants were told to release the sick woman. She was helped to the bed, but she couldn't bend over or straighten up. She was rubbing her waist, which seemed to be in a lot of pain. This must be due to wind entering her kidneys.

The Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup didn't work, nor did the Double Harmony Soup. She couldn't help but say, "In that case, I'll try a Qi-regulating soup first. I'll come back tomorrow."

Her expertise lies in treating metrorrhagia and pregnancy-related conditions, which she can only diagnose step by step.

This medical case cannot be processed here; it's too chaotic and war-torn here. We need to go home and record it carefully. But unexpectedly, as soon as we came out, Laiwang said, "Miss, our carriage has broken down."

Today, the carriage took them to Maple Bridge, and on the way back, they rushed to Lilac Lane. Although Lilac Lane is only three or four miles away from her home, it's no wonder they're exhausted from all this.

Miaozhen said, "Can you fix it now? If you can, then fix it. If you can't, then have this family send someone to take us back. If they don't agree, then go to the car dealership and hire a car."

Laiwang said, "Don't worry, it can be fixed, it just takes a while."

"Alright, I'll write down the medical record here, otherwise I'll easily forget it when I get home." Medical records are considered a doctor's priceless treasure, as they provide valuable experience for treating illnesses in the future.

Especially in ancient times, unlike today, there were not various instruments available, so people relied heavily on empiricism.

She placed the booklet on the wall and began writing as if no one else was around.

When Xiao Jingshi came out, he saw this scene and was still a little confused. What was this person doing? Putting on a big show here?

But what's going on at this alley entrance?

He walked past him, stood about ten feet away, and deliberately cleared his throat.

Miao Zhen was no fool. She had actually noticed Xiao Jingshi approaching, but she felt a little embarrassed. Besides, the situation between them wasn't suitable for talking, so she simply pretended not to know. She didn't expect him to come over.

"Young Master Xiao." Miao Zhen curtsied.

Seeing that she showed no signs of feminine shyness and was instead poised and confident, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here?"

Miaozhen then explained the reason, and added, "Don't worry about me, Laiwang will fix the carriage soon, and we'll go back."

She was a very proper young lady. The two families were engaged, but it wouldn't be appropriate to let the Xiao family send her back, so she said it directly.

Xiao Jingshi originally wanted to talk about breaking off the engagement, but for some reason, he thought that this was a marriage arranged by parents and matchmakers, and what could a woman like her do?

Therefore, he said to his servant, "Qingfeng, have someone watch the carriage for them."

Miao Zhen smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Young Master Xiao. I will take advantage of the remaining light to complete the medical record."

Xiao Jingshi gestured for him to leave and then left. With Qingfeng's help, Laiwang quickly repaired the carriage. When Miaozhen returned home, she looked through the books and discovered that there had been similar cases before.

The next morning, she hurriedly ate a few bites and rushed over to Dingxiang Lane to revise the prescription. "For your wife's condition, it's best to take Paifeng Decoction. She needs to take ten doses, and it should be taken together with Niuhuang Qingxin Pills or Zaojiao Pills."

After saying that, he re-prescribed the medicine and breathed a sigh of relief.

It is said that the Xiao family and the Chen family next door were close friends. When Madam Chen had health problems, the Xiao family recommended a doctor to her. The Chen family even bought their medicine from their pharmacy. However, Madam Chen was always acting crazy.

Mrs. Xiao said to the people around her, "How could someone like that get this disease? Her son is about to get married. Go and find out, I can't go myself."

Just then, Madam Chen had someone bring over a wedding invitation in a gilded box. The person quickly said, "I am here on the orders of our Madam to pay my respects to the Second Madam."

Mrs. Xiao asked happily, "Is your wife already better?"

"In response to Second Madam, our lady has recovered, and it's all thanks to her."

"Oh? Thanks to whom?"

"It is your daughter-in-law, Miss Xu."

Madam Xiao was surprised by Miaozhen's medical skills. She once again felt that she had made the right choice in choosing a daughter-in-law. Of course, some clansmen gossiped, thinking that an unmarried girl like her should not show her face in public like this.

When such rumors reached Xu Erpeng's ears, he said to his daughter, "These are just the words of some pedantic people. It's true that old women doctors have a bad reputation, but you are not one of those old women doctors who randomly stick needles in. You are a real young and talented female doctor. There's no need to pay attention to it."

“Father, I know. Don’t be fooled by the way some people talk about female doctors. Female patients almost always trust female doctors very much, even those who aren’t really female doctors, like those old women doctors with mediocre skills. I don’t feel inferior when I treat people. If my in-laws are so old-fashioned, I don’t think it will last long.” Miaozhen shook her head.

After the father and daughter finished speaking, someone outside said that Mrs. Chen had come to express her gratitude in person, and the gifts she brought were naturally very generous.

Two roast geese, four shad, four live chickens, two roast ducks, two gold-embroidered handkerchiefs, a white silk undergarment with cloud-shaped shoulder embroidery and birds, a sheepskin skirt with gold stitching, and a consultation fee of three taels and six mace.

Mrs. Mei was saying to Mrs. Chen, "You can just give me some consultation fee, there's no need for this."

"Don't say that. It was your daughter who cured my illness. We'll be neighbors in the future, so I don't think this is enough," Mrs. Chen said with a smile.

Madam Mei said, "Actually, studying medicine is very difficult. You have to memorize prescriptions and understand the properties of medicines all day long. But she is a child with such talent, and we adults can't stop her. Now that you have recovered, that is the best payment for her medical treatment."

As parents, no matter what others say, you must support your daughter.

Even though she didn't understand at first, her daughter liked it and did it very well, so she had to help her daughter make sure everything was right.

Mrs. Chen was surprised by Madam Mei's words. She sat up straight and said, "That's why I'm even more grateful to Miss Xu. At that time, I felt unwell everywhere and was almost going crazy. If it weren't for Miss Xu, I might have been sent to the family temple or the mental hospital. Really, we had to perform religious rites at home and consult several doctors, but nothing worked."

At this moment, Madam Mei also felt honored, for although she had only cured the illness, she had actually saved a life.

It's already early October, and the weather is a bit cool in the morning. The City God Temple usually holds a temple fair on the 1st, 15th, and 25th of each month, where there are stalls. Book vendors will not miss such an opportunity.

Early in the morning, Xu Erpeng asked Li, the shop assistant, to open the door. The books in his shop were not expensive, and there were extras. The shop assistants were also very hospitable and would bring out tea so that the booksellers could take their time to choose. As a result, not long after opening, he had already sold more than a dozen books and earned more than one tael of silver.

Because of her medical practice, Miaozhen has now added an extra source of income to her family. They can now enjoy the roast goose, chicken, and duck that people give them as gifts.

After finishing her meal, she would go down to the storage room. For some reason, she wanted to have her own consultation room. Sometimes she really didn't want to take the carriage there, as it was such a waste of time and effort.

Thinking of this, she discussed it with her father during lunch: "Father, I still have some money and cloth on hand. Why don't we take over a storefront facing the street? If I ever become famous in the future, I'll have a foundation to open a women's clinic."

Xu Erpeng nodded: "Alright, I'll go see Fang Ya tomorrow."

“Then my daughter should also have a garden. If she could grow some medicinal herbs, that would be even better,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

Xu Erpeng shrugged: "I will naturally obey my daughter's orders."

This daughter is as resolute as the man, rarely complains, always has the determination to do great things, can endure periods of obscurity, and never gives up.

Never mind, even if the Xiao family really doesn't like her, his daughter will definitely achieve great things in the future.

Xiao Jingshi, who had always wanted to break off the engagement, fell silent, which surprised Madam Xiao. Her relationship with her sons was not as polite as that of an ordinary mother and son.

Little did he know that Xiao Jingshi had indeed wanted to break off the engagement and disliked those charlatan doctors and sorcerers, as well as Xu Erpeng who had schemed against him. However, he discovered that his fiancée was indeed a skilled physician. He had seen her writing medical records that day, and they were very detailed; she was not the kind of person who treated patients haphazardly.

If such a good doctor were to force someone to break off a engagement for personal reasons, it would be contrary to his consistent principles as a person.

So he fell silent.

Since he remained silent, Mrs. Xiao naturally had even less reason to say anything.

When the winter solstice arrived, Xu Erpeng helped Miaozhen find a house facing the street. It cost a total of three hundred taels of silver. The house had four rooms and three courtyards. Inside the main gate, there were three guest rooms in the east wing, and a long corridor on the west side. Passing through the corridor, you would reach the third courtyard, which had three rooms in total, one open and two hidden. Next to it was a kitchen and a side room. In front of the kitchen was a small flower garden.

Although the location here isn't as good as Jin Chang's, it's not bad either. There aren't as many rooms as hers, but it's more than enough for a dowry house.

Xu Erpeng used the betrothal gifts from the Xiao family to pay for this, and the house deed was quickly completed and given to Miaozhen.

Miaozhen often came over with Madam Mei to tidy up the house. She also used her own money to have a set of furniture bought for her. Of course, she didn't buy expensive furniture. She only spent forty taels of silver to tidy up the house.

For now, we can only proceed slowly, step by step.

Ma Yulan is getting married next month, and Mrs. Ma bought a lot of medicine for her daughter from her, such as labor-inducing pills, birth-preserving pills, black god powder, and amber black powder, almost all of which are for use during pregnancy or postpartum.

Miaozhen made some jade hairpin powder and gave it to Ma Yulan, hoping that she could always be happy, beautiful and lovely.

However, she could not remain entangled in worldly affairs for long. Only by seeing more patients and encountering more illnesses could her medical skills become more refined. Therefore, she immediately decided to prepare to provide free medical consultations in her new residence.

She wrote the notice for the free clinic herself, which was scheduled for the first and fifteenth days of the twelfth lunar month. It stated that she would treat women and asked men to go around.

Men can go to so many clinics, but there are no clinics specifically for women. Although Miaozhen is only providing free medical services and does not plan to open a clinic immediately, she still holds herself to the standards of a clinic.

Curtains were drawn around the areas where patients needed to undress for treatment, ensuring privacy even among women. Moxibustion and simple medicinal herbs were also provided.

Of course, fearing that no one would come for the first treatment, Miaozhen specially wrote on the signboard, "Those who come for treatment will receive an egg." Giving away eggs like this, no matter where it is, is the best form of advertising.

Everything is ready, we're just waiting for the day of the free clinic!