Chapter 50 (combined with Chapter 50)

Miao Zhen's table of food and wine remained untouched. Seeing Xiao Jingshi return with a somewhat unpleasant expression, she smiled and said, "The page boy brought over some food and wine to thank you and me. I figured you'd be back, so I didn't touch it. Would you like me to heat it up?"

"Don't even mention it, I just ran into that guy surnamed Xia." Xiao Jingshi sat down, considering whether or not to tell Miaozhen. He would have told her on a normal day, but Miaozhen is pregnant now, and it wouldn't be good if she got upset and something bad happened to her.

But if he doesn't say anything, he's about to go to Nanjing, and today he's going to arrange for a ship. His wife will have to be on guard when she's home alone.

Therefore, he was somewhat conflicted.

When Miaozhen heard that he had met Sister Xia Xian, she asked, "What happened? Wasn't she copying scriptures? How come she had time to come over?"

"It's more than that." Xiao Jingshi still told Miaozhen what had happened.

"She's really acting inexplicably. You and I know about the pageboy's affair, yet she's so eager to frame us. She's corrupt herself and thinks everyone else is corrupt too. It's a good thing you can distinguish right from wrong, but you mustn't act impulsively. What kind of person is she that you're worth getting angry at? If word gets out, and your reputation for whipping your elder sister-in-law spreads, then it'll be like you hurting Yu Ping'er over a rat." Miao Zhen was furious. Spreading rumors is the most shameful thing. If the husband and wife didn't know, who knows how big the trouble would become?

Seeing that she only cared about him, Xiao Jingshi felt a warm current flowing through his heart, and couldn't help but take her hand and say, "I've remembered what you said."

Miaozhen smiled and said, "After you go to Nanjing, my priority will be to take care of my pregnancy, and I will also pay more attention to my health on a daily basis."

She's not someone to be trifled with. The Cheng family has a history of real fighting, so why would they be afraid of Xia Xian? However, everything has to be done in one fell swoop, otherwise, they'll just make enemies in the open.

Xiao Jingshi had no choice but to sit down. Miaozhen arranged for a maid to heat up the dishes on the stove in the side room, and the couple ate together. As for the Jinhua wine, it was placed in the innermost room on the west side, and the leftover clean snacks and roast chicken were distributed to the servants.

Xiao Jingshi said, "Otherwise, I'll go and tell Mother, so you can rest assured."

"Forget it, why bother Mother with this?" In the past, Miaozhen would have thought it was the right thing to do, but after half a year in this house, she realized that she had to take care of her own affairs herself. It was better if Madam Ren didn't know, but if she did know, it would be fine when everyone was on good terms, but if things didn't go well, it would become a handle for attacking her at any time.

When people encounter problems, they seek help from others, hoping someone will take charge for them, but little do they know that only they themselves can help them.

Seeing Miaozhen like this, Xiao Jingshi knew that his mother was no longer involved in affairs and was obsessed with Buddhism, so he said, "Take care of yourself. I'll be leaving in the next couple of days, and I probably won't be able to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival at home."

The exam was held at the end of August three years ago, but it seems to have been moved up this year, so he has to go earlier.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your luggage."

Miaozhen, along with Fengniang and several maids, packed Xiao Jingshi's luggage. She then gave him some of her own medicine: "First is this Ginseng Detoxifying Powder. It can be used for all kinds of external wind-cold, cough, and qi deficiency. Take two qian each time with a cup of water, add a little ginger and mint, and remove the dregs. Remember, if you have a cold ailment, take it hot; if you have a heat ailment, take it cold."

"Then there is Daozhi San. If there is bleeding due to external force injury, or falling from a height, or being pressed by a heavy object, resulting in vomiting blood, bloody stool, or blood stasis, this can be taken. The dosage is two qian each time, mixed with warm wine."

"There's also this Three White Drink for relieving summer heat. If you have heatstroke, which causes cholera-like vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea, you can take this. I've written the instructions on a label, so you'll know when you see it."

Fearing he might get impatient, Miaozhen said, "Alright, if I give you too much, you might not remember it. Just these three kinds of medicine will do."

Xiao Jingshi initially thought he was fine, but when he heard Miaozhen introduce the medicine, he suddenly realized that he might catch a cold on the way, or be accidentally pushed off the boat from behind.

No wonder his wife's small pharmacy is always full of people coming and going to get medicine. Even someone like him who isn't sick would want to be on guard. But he's a man after all, and seeing that Miaozhen isn't being coy, he felt even more embarrassed to say anything.

But once they were in bed, he couldn't help but ask, feigning innocence, "Do you think anyone would poison someone?"

"So once you're not there, don't drink the water or anything on the table."

"Everyone knows that."

Miaozhen laughed and said, "That's settled then. Who has a few lives to harm scholars? Besides, you have a dozen or so servants and guards. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to get close to you."

Xiao Jingshi stroked Miaozhen's chin: "Do you have any pills that can cure all poisons?"

“I’ve heard of a formula called Jiva’s Panacea Pill, which is said to cure seven kinds of lumps, five kinds of epilepsy, twelve kinds of Gu poison, five kinds of jaundice, twelve kinds of malaria, and seven kinds of flying corpses. However, this medicine is too potent and contains many poisons. If used incorrectly, it can cause even healthy people to fall ill. Such medicine must be used with extreme caution,” Miaozhen said.

Xiao Jingshi kept asking what flying corpses were and what kind of poison Gu was, which annoyed Miaozhen to death. She simply pulled the blanket over her head.

The couple were chatting happily. After Xia Xianjie was scared away by Xiao Jingshi, she was afraid that he would go after Xiao Jingyan. Unexpectedly, he did not chase after her, so Xia Xianjie breathed a sigh of relief. She said to Linglong, "Perhaps that dog was afraid that people would say he was being cuckolded, which is why he was so angry."

If Xia Xian were someone she could easily control, she would have provoked him a thousand times over long ago. However, Xiao Jingshi is skilled in martial arts, sharp-tongued, and arrogant, making him difficult for her to manipulate. She can only vent her frustration verbally and then secretly look for opportunities to take action.

But she was unaware that Miaozhen had already begun to take precautions and was watching her closely.

A few days later, Xiao Jingshi took a boat to Nanjing. Ren Shi held another farewell banquet. Everyone seemed to be fine. Even Xia Xianjie served Chao Shi obediently and cleverly, and Miao Zhen was all smiles.

“Mother, I’m afraid I won’t be back for a month or two. You’re so busy here. If you have time, you could bring your wife’s mother over to take care of her for a few days.” Xiao Jingshi was thinking of having Madam Mei come over, so that there would be more people around.

Madam Ren immediately agreed: "That's right. She's a young woman who's pregnant, and with her mother by her side, she'll feel more at ease."

Xiao Jingshi was relieved and then said to Miaozhen, "I've left one hundred taels in the study. Just go and get it when you need it, understand?"

Miao Zhen nodded; in any case, Xiao Jingshi was still very generous.

When she saw him off, Miaozhen couldn't help but shed tears, not wanting anyone to see her or say that she missed her man.

Although Xiao Jingshi was often in the outer study, he always seemed like a door god. Now that he was gone, Miaozhen felt a bit lonely living alone in such a large place as Furongwu.

Just as she was feeling melancholy, Xiao Xi came in and said, "Fourth Grandmother, a patient has arrived and is at the door."

Miaozhen immediately said, "Quickly invite them in."

The woman who came was suffering from leukorrhea, which looked like blood but wasn't quite blood, and it kept dripping. Miaozhen asked her age and learned that she was only thirty-five years old, yet she had been suffering from it for more than five years.

"Is your period regular?" Miaozhen asked.

The woman nodded: "My menstrual cycle is normal, but sometimes when I urinate, there is a mixture of water and blood."

Miaozhen took her pulse and found it to be thin, rapid, and wiry, with red edges on her tongue. She then personally poured her a cup of tea and asked, "How is your temperament usually?"

The woman was surprised by Miaozhen's question. She said shyly, "I am usually very quiet. If it weren't for Mrs. Chen being my relative and secretly asking me to come, I wouldn't dare to go out to see a doctor."

“Actually, as long as you get better, a good mood is more important than anything else. Since you got this illness five years ago, was there something going on back then? It’s nothing, let’s just chat. I won’t tell anyone the private things that patients tell me,” Miaozhen said.

The woman hesitated to speak, but seeing Miaozhen stroking her belly, a thought struck her: "It's because I only gave birth to a daughter that my husband's family took a concubine..."

Once she started talking, she poured out her heart, describing how the concubine suppressed the wife and how the husband favored the concubine while neglecting the wife.

Miaozhen showed no impatience whatsoever, and instead said, "You still have a daughter, which is good too. Once your health is restored, you'll still be young."

Through her experience, Miaozhen realized that the woman had likely been suffering from prolonged worry, which had damaged her liver and spleen, leading to internal dampness and heat. She treated her with acupuncture, focusing on the Ciliao acupoint as the primary acupoint, along with the Daimai and Yinlingquan acupoints. She said, "This acupuncture needs to be done once a day for at least ten days. I will also give you some medicine to take at the same time. If it is effective, I will prescribe other formulas."

In the "Formulary of the Bureau of Imperial Medical Services for the Benefit of the People," she added peony bark and gardenia to Xiaoyao Powder to help her soothe her liver and relieve depression first.

The woman saw that Miaozhen's technique was skillful and her speech was clear. Although she didn't know if she could come every day, she liked this place. Furongwu was like a fairyland. It was well-maintained. Outside, there were birds singing and flowers blooming. Here, it was very quiet.

After the needle is inserted and the qi is obtained, it needs to be left in place for three-quarters of an hour. Miaozhen stays here with her, which is a good opportunity to organize the medical records.

After it was over, Miaozhen went to bed to rest.

Normally, Xiao Jingshi would be the most dashing person to go out and wave his gold-plated fan, but today he felt a bit more worried. It was good that I was here; if I wasn't, he was afraid that I would be bullied again.

Unfortunately, everyone has their own path to walk in life. Fortunately, his wife is quite capable of managing the household. If he passes the provincial examination, she will be able to rise to a higher social class.

Then I looked at the abalone and snails with bones in the food box. My wife picked them herself. I don't know how she knows how to cook them. Among all the women, she is definitely one of the best.

When Xiao Jingshi left, it had just passed Ren Shi's birthday. Ren Shi had asked several nuns to chant sutras, and she asked Miaozhen and the others to listen. Her three daughters-in-law then accompanied her.

"You look great." Miaozhen looked at Lou Qiongyu's face, which was fair and rosy, and had no freckles, so it was quite good.

Lou Qiongyu smiled and said, "Perhaps it's because this child is considerate of me."

“I think it’s not just my son who is considerate of you, but also my sixth brother,” Han Yueyao joked.

If we were to say that Xiao Jingtang was the most sensible and understanding man in the Xiao family, Lou Qiongyu blushed as she thought of her husband's goodness.

When the group arrived at Madam Ren's place, the nuns all looked quite plump and were giving a sermon. Miaozhen sat on the futon, listening intently while yawning. However, seeing that Madam Ren was listening with great interest, she decided to take some time after returning home to copy the sutra.

For her, this was just like practicing calligraphy; there was no need to show off. She could simply have Xiao Xi deliver it quietly.

Xiao Xi replied that Madam Ren planned to invite Madam Mei to stay for a few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, which delighted Miao Zhen once again.

She then mentioned that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. She wore a pale yellow gauze blouse with a pattern of osmanthus and rabbits, and a wide white silk skirt with five-colored embroidered threads. She wore a gold three-piece ornament with a spider motif on her chest, and an embroidered purse and a jade pendant with a peony pattern hanging below.

She wore a silver-threaded bun with only a gold filigree butterfly and flower hairpin, a daffodil hairpin, and a gold crown at the back. She also wore gold lantern earrings.

The dress was elegant yet luxurious, and Miaozhen was very satisfied. She didn't want to wear it all the way up, otherwise it would be too heavy on her head.

Fortunately, the Mid-Autumn Festival was spent in the garden, and Xiao Xi even helped Miao Zhen get a lotus root silk cloak, which Ban Xia had given her and she had kept for many years.

Today, Fengniang stayed to watch the house. Miaozhen said, "We'll come back early, and then you can go and rest. I have some snacks, a pot of Jinhua wine, and a roast chicken."

"I know, young lady, go quickly." Feng Niang was old and wished she could stay at home, fearing that thieves might steal things if she wasn't home.

Miao Zhen went straight out and first went to the Banana Garden. There she saw Han Yueyao wearing a gold-threaded bun, a sapphire blue Nanjing Joyful Encounter brocade shirt, and a sheepskin skirt with gold stitching and a hundred flowers and gold decoration. She walked with bells jingling around her. She was extremely luxurious.

"Sister-in-law is truly as beautiful as Chang'e," Miaozhen said with a smile. She thought Han Yueyao was extremely good at dressing up. Even with gold and jade, she didn't look vulgar. Instead, she had the beautiful and vibrant look of a peony in full bloom.

Han Yueyao laughed and said, "I just dressed up haphazardly. I'm an old lady now, how could I be a Heng'e?"

"I think my sister-in-law is beautiful." Miao Zhen truly felt this way.

Han Yueyao was naturally delighted to hear this. Although the fertility medicine had not worked and she was anxious, at least her brother had been promoted from deputy commander to commander, and the position was still hereditary in the family.

While she was talking to Han Yueyao, Lou Qiongyu arrived, and the three of them went together to the Moon Worship Pavilion. Old Madam Xiao and the eldest daughter-in-law and her husband also arrived. Han Yueyao had dressed up quite well, but Xia Xianjie was even more elaborate, with her entire outfit inlaid with cat's-eye lenses, pearl pendants, and even a large, round pearl embedded in her ankle. Han Yueyao immediately looked deflated.

Miaozhen didn't feel anything. They were never as rich as Sister Xia Xian, so wasn't that normal? In fact, Sister Xia Xian was the wife of a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, so she could be said to be more prestigious than the Second Madam and the First Madam of Xiao.

Among the young wives, Sister Xia Xian was the wealthiest and most beautiful, surpassing everyone else.

Chao Shi did not mention her daughter-in-law, but said to Ren Shi, "The scroll of scriptures you sent the other day was very good." After saying that, she looked at Miao Zhen and said, "I heard that you wrote it. That's very good. We are getting old, and our handwriting is getting smaller and smaller. In the future, I hope you can help me copy a scroll as well."

Miaozhen said a few words of modesty, and Madam Ren pointed at Miaozhen and said, "Her calligraphy is really good, no doubt about it. She is indeed worthy of being the disciple of the enemy's wife."

In fact, Madam Ren only knew about Qiu Dacai after hearing Madam Mei mention her name. Madam Chao had a headache just thinking about her daughter-in-law's ghost talisman, so she praised Miaozhen a few more times.

Miao Zhen was naturally humble, but seeing Xia Xian's unfriendly expression, she remembered that Xia Xian had been detained by Chao Shi to copy scriptures, but her handwriting was not good. However, Miao Zhen had only given it to Ren Shi and had not expected that Ren Shi would give it to Chao Shi, but she did not regret it.

For a long time, everyone seemed to think that this person was difficult to get along with, so they would all put up with it and make concessions. But that was back in the Cheng family. Now everyone is of equal status. Why should we give in to you in everything just because you are bad and we are afraid of being bullied by you? Isn't this just your own super sensitive skin?

Miaozhen had just seen Han Yueyao's family promoted to the rank of Thousand-Household Commander a few days ago. She was already so angry about how some people were flattering Lou Qiongyu because of their family's official position and leaving her out in the cold. If they were so angry, they would never stop being angry.

Look, Ren immediately asked Lou Qiongyu what kind of pregnancy dream she had, while Miaozhen listened from the side.

"I dreamt of black carp, oh dear, this might mean I'm having a boy." Old Mrs. Xiao chimed in.

Lou Qiongyu smiled shyly: "As long as the child is born safely, that's better than anything else."

Miaozhen broke off a small piece of biscuit, took a bite, and said, "I bet you'll have a safe delivery. I even had leg cramps, but you only felt nauseous at first and didn't have any symptoms afterward. It's clear that the baby in your belly is a loving mother."

Lou Qiongyu stroked her belly and looked at Miaozhen: "Thank you for your kind words, sister-in-law."

After they finished speaking, Madam Ren summoned several storytellers and singers to avoid further gossip. Half an hour later, a night breeze blew in, and Miaozhen got up to go home.

"Go ahead." Madam Ren glanced at her belly and told her to go back first.

Han Yueyao suggested, "Why don't you sit a little longer and have a drink to warm yourself up?"

Miaozhen said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but I have a bit of a headache."

Han Yueyao had no choice but to let her go. As soon as she left, Xia Xianjie, who was sitting to the side, laughed and said, "Second sister-in-law, you really are something else. The baby in her belly is a living dragon, so of course it's different. Look at sixth sister-in-law, she's sitting here just fine, not taking advantage of being favored."

Little did they know that Lou Qiongyu might also want to leave, but she was too embarrassed to say so.

Han Yueyao replied, "She's a bit clumsy, so it's understandable that she can't hold on."

Xia Xianjie's attempt to sow discord failed, and she thought to herself that Xu Miaozhen was not only stealing her thunder everywhere, but also deliberately giving her the wrong medicine so that she could not get pregnant, and she secretly resented her.

After Miaozhen returned, she had someone bring over a basin of ice. She hadn't put in any ice yesterday because she didn't feel too cold, but because it was too hot, she hadn't slept all night. Staying up all night with such a big belly was too harmful to her health.

I went to sleep as soon as I got home that night. The next day, some patients came to my house for acupuncture. This was the last day of acupuncture. Seeing that she was getting better, I prescribed Qinggan Zhilin Decoction with the addition of loofah sponge, mulberry leaves, and bamboo shavings.

The woman took the medicine home and drank about ten doses, and miraculously recovered completely, her heartache gone. She thought about how the person had treated her for almost a month, and gave her sixteen taels of silver as a consultation fee, as well as a bolt of red silk and two bolts of crepe.

When Madam Mei happened to come over, she saw Miaozhen and envied her. Even in such a deep mansion, her daughter had excellent medical skills, a considerable monthly income, and her own trusted confidants. She didn't rely on men and lived a very good life here.

“Mother, I was thinking of taking this piece of crepe gauze and this piece of silk upstairs to make clothes when you come over,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

Madam Mei said, "No need, you can keep them all to make clothes for the young master."

Miaozhen smiled and said, "By the time the baby is born, it will be winter. Don't worry, I have plenty here."

“If it weren’t for something at home, I would have come over long ago. Your maternal grandfather fell ill, and I helped take care of him for a few days,” Madam Mei said.

Seeing how tired her mother was, Miaozhen couldn't help but say, "If I had known, I wouldn't have let you come here. I didn't know any of this."

Although the two families lived so close, it seemed that after the marriage, there were still many things that she couldn't keep up with. But then she saw Madam Mei say, "Please don't say that. When I was giving birth to you, I always thought how wonderful it would be if I had a mother to take care of me."

“Your two younger brothers need someone to look after them while they’re studying at home. Why don’t you come and rest here for a couple of days and then go back? It’s so close by anyway. What do I need? I’ll send someone back to find you,” Miaozhen said.

Madam Mei waved her hand and then asked about Miaozhen's recent situation. Miaozhen then told her about Xia Xianjie's rumors about her. Even the usually good-tempered Madam Mei was furious and said, "I really wanted to tear her mouth apart! Luckily, my son-in-law didn't fall for it. You don't know about Wang Xiucai, who runs the Beijing goods store across the street. His classmate was also joking with him, saying that Wang Xiucai was having an affair behind his back. Wang Xiucai misunderstood and got a good beating. You're pregnant now. What if someone just shoves you?"

Miao Zhen thought the matter was more serious than she had imagined, but this topic alone couldn't sway Sister Xia Xian, so she could only look for an opportunity.

"How can there be such a troublemaker?"

Madam Mei said, "It's good that you're taking precautions. To put it bluntly, she's just a daughter-in-law of the eldest son's family, and she can't usually interfere with your affairs."

Miaozhen nodded: "That's true, but this person likes to shoot arrows from the shadows, and it's not good to always be watched by her. I'll wait for my chance."

The mother and daughter talked privately for a while. Then someone from Han Yueyao's place came to say that the cotton maker had arrived. Miaozhen told Mei to go back to her room to rest first. She asked Tianjie to go upstairs and weigh five catties of cotton to take over. This was to make mattresses for the children. Summer quilts would be half a catty each, and winter quilts would be two catties each.

As for making clothes, Xiao Jingshi returned and asked him to bring a tailor over to make a few pieces on the spot.

Sweetie returned from the main house half a day later, laughing as she said, "Miss, you don't know, Second Mistress was just saying that the eldest master carried his concubine into the house. It startled us all. Just a sedan chair, four lanterns, and a few drummers walked in."

"So that's why you didn't come back. You went to join in the fun." Miaozhen hadn't expected Xiao Jingyan to take a concubine.

Although she didn't like Xia Xianjie either, she married with a huge dowry, and it was only two or three years before he wanted to take a concubine.

Sweetie thought Miaozhen was happy and said, "This concubine who has entered the house has quite a background. With her keeping the eldest mistress occupied, you can rest assured."

It wasn't that she was a saintly figure; she should have been very happy. But in reality, she didn't feel happy at all, and even felt a little sorry for her. In the past, Mrs. Wang had fought against her daughter-in-law in order to help her son take a concubine. She used one woman to fight against another woman, thereby disciplining the woman and making her temper more restrained.

It is truly a shame to be born a woman, for her joys and sorrows are determined by others.