"Is your surname Jiang, young lady?" Aunt Meng asked Jiang Shuyue with a gentle smile, instead of answering her question.
"My daughter's surname is Jiang."
"Thank you for donating money to our nunnery, young lady. I have heard about your deeds; you are truly an extraordinary woman."
Aunt Meng's eyes shone, and her gaze towards Jiang Shuyue was as gentle as a spring breeze.
Jiang Shuyue smiled slightly, "Thank you for your kind words, Aunt. I am a restless person. Besides doing business, I also love medicine."
Aunt Meng nodded slightly at Jiang Shuyue, "I know you run Juxian Pavilion and Jishetang. To be honest, we brew peach blossom wine to subsidize the nunnery. We heard that peach blossom wine sells well, and we were worried about who to sell it to. Your arrival has been a great help to us."
"Thank you for your trust, Aunt Meng. Yue Niang will give the nunnery the best price."
Jiang Shuyue paused for a moment and then asked, "I heard that my aunts also know how to make rouge and face powder?"
"Well, we don't make much. We mainly sell to peddlers passing through outside the village."
“Aunt Meng, the peddler can’t offer a high price. The girl who came with me today has a shop that sells women’s products. From now on, all the handicrafts that you aunts make can be sent to Women’s Shop.”
"Young lady, you have accumulated great virtue. Most of the nuns in our nunnery do not have the protection of their families; they can take care of their food and lodging in the nunnery. The nuns are trying to save up more money for their retirement."
In seasons when there were no flowers to pick for making rouge and face powder, they did embroidery. Just as the girl said, the peddler came every now and then, but the prices he offered were really low.
Jiang Shuyue told Aunt Meng the address of Women's Boutique.
Aunt Meng said, "I know that place. When I was young, I would occasionally go shopping there."
"Back then, if I had had the courage of someone like you, Yue Niang, I wouldn't have had to flee the mortal world and hide here in self-pity. Now, with this broken body, I don't know how long I can hold on for the sisters in the nunnery."
When Aunt Meng said this, her eyes dimmed and a faint sadness appeared on her face.
Jiang Shuyue got up and turned the oil lamp up a bit brighter. The two were now close, and she looked closely at Aunt Meng's face.
Her fair skin had a bluish tinge beneath it, which didn't look like the complexion of someone suffering from a cold.
Instead, it's like the characteristics of someone who has been poisoned.
Jiang Shuyue tentatively asked, "Aunt Meng, when you mentioned the recurrence of your illness, did you mean you have a pre-existing condition?"
"Young lady, you not only know how to diagnose women's ailments, but you can also treat other illnesses?"
Aunt Meng's eyes lit up again, and she excitedly raised her hand to hold Jiang Shuyue's hand.
Perhaps afraid of being too abrupt, he put his hand down again.
"Yes, if you trust me, Auntie can take your pulse."
Aunt Meng raised her wrist again, "Then I'll have to trouble you, young lady."
Without hesitation, Jiang Shuyue grasped Aunt Meng's pulse with her right hand.
After taking the pulse with both hands, I also examined the tongue and inner eyelashes.
After reading it, Jiang Shuyue withdrew her hand, secretly shocked. Aunt Meng had obvious symptoms of poisoning.
Could there be power struggles and conflicts of interest within this austere nunnery?
Seeing Jiang Shuyue's furrowed brows, Aunt Meng smiled faintly, "Please speak freely, young lady. Is my old ailment incurable?"
Jiang Shuyue stood up and took a step back, saying, "Does Auntie often experience symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and lethargy?"
After Jiang Shuyue finished speaking, she added, "Even without catching a cold, you can still have those symptoms."
"Young lady, you, cough cough, you are truly a miracle doctor, everything you said is correct." Aunt Meng's eyes widened in surprise, and she coughed repeatedly with excitement.
"Auntie, how long have you had these symptoms?"
Aunt Meng's eyes were vacant, her thoughts seemed to drift away, and her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she were recalling a painful past.
"It's been many years, probably not long after I came to Peach Blossom Temple. At first, I thought it was because I couldn't let go of some things and was depressed. Later, I went back to Beijing to recuperate for a while. But my condition worsened at home. I saw many doctors and drank a lot of herbal medicine, but no one could cure me."
Jiang Shuyue gleaned a clue from her words.
She pressed further, "Did Aunt's condition improve after she returned to Peach Blossom Nunnery?"
"yes."
Jiang Shuyue felt as if she was about to uncover the truth behind Aunt Meng's poisoning.
She continued, "If family members come to visit, does your aunt experience any recurrence of her symptoms after they leave?"
Aunt Meng's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had suddenly thought of something.
Her voice trembled slightly, "Could it be her..."
Jiang Shuyue didn't beat around the bush and nodded solemnly.
"Aunt, your illness isn't just a simple cold; someone is poisoning you every so often. This poison is called 'Heart-Eating Grass,' and if used continuously in large quantities, it becomes extremely toxic and can quickly take a person's life. If a little is occasionally added to your food..."
It becomes a slow poison, gradually hollowing out the body until the person is so weak that a cold breeze can render them bedridden, and they eventually die silently, leaving even the imperial physicians unable to diagnose the cause of their death.
"Cough cough... She's too vicious. I've given her everything, and it's not enough. She still wants to kill me."
As Aunt Meng spoke, tears streamed down her face, her eyes filled with boundless hatred and despair.
Overwhelmed with grief, she hugged her knees and wept bitterly.
Seeing the thin, lonely, and heartbroken person in front of her, Jiang Shuyue felt a pang of sorrow.
The nuns are the most vulnerable and insignificant group, so insignificant that they are as low as dust, destined to die alone, ignored by everyone, and never cared for by the imperial court.
Jiang Shuyue secretly planned that when she returned to the capital, she would petition the Emperor on behalf of her aunts so that they could receive the court's protection and the same care as those from Ciyin Hall.
"Aunt Meng, don't be sad. It just so happens that my daughter is also good at detoxification."
Aunt Meng looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, "It's true!"
Jiang Shuyue took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve with a thought. "It's true. It just so happens that I have a habit of carrying antidote pills with me. The poison in Aunt's body is still superficial. If the poisoner has a few more chances to poison her, Aunt will be in danger."
Even ants struggle to survive, let alone humans. Aunt Meng's eyes regained their clarity, and her worries and despair vanished.
Jiang Shuyue walked to the table, picked up a porcelain cup from the tray, and lifted the kettle to pour water.
She suddenly remembered something, paused, picked up the kettle, and went outside.
She went to a secluded spot, emptied the water from the kettle, and then poured in the spiritual spring water from her space.
When she entered the room again, she saw that Aunt Meng was holding a jade bracelet.
“Miss, I don’t have anything valuable here, except for this bracelet, which is of good quality. Please accept it.”
Jiang Shuyue poured a cup of spiritual spring water and handed it over along with the pills. "Aunt Meng, please don't do this. It's just a small favor. I share the same thought as you. Helping others is also a way to accumulate good karma for myself."
Aunt Meng smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I'm still not detached from worldly affairs."
He put away the bracelet, took the water cup and pills, and swallowed them.
Seeing that Aunt Meng had put down her water glass, Jiang Shuyue handed her the white porcelain bottle. "Take these pills three times a day, four pills each time, for seven consecutive days."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, and Aunt Meng's expression changed drastically.
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