During the first month of the year, the border was still covered with ice and snow.
Wang Qiaozhen covered her stomach with both hands, leaning against the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the spittoon. The fumigation cage was right next to her, but she felt cold all over and could not feel any warmth at all.
Oh no, this is really bad, what should I do?
She was extremely confused and regretful. She suddenly stood up and paced around the bedroom, frequently listening to the movements outside the doors and windows, anxiously waiting for news.
Before I knew it, it was noon.
There was a knock on the door suddenly, "Knock knock~"
Wang Qiaozhen's eyes lit up, and she quickly opened the door and asked, "Why did you come back so late? You're so slow—"
"Huh? Madam?" The little maid was startled and hurriedly reported, "The old lady has sent for dinner. Please come and have dinner."
Wang Qiaozhen felt secretly disappointed. She pulled out her handkerchief, pretended to blow her nose, and replied perfunctorily, "Tell the old lady: I'm not well yet. I'm afraid I might pass my illness on to the elderly and children, so it's not appropriate for me to eat with you for the time being."
"Yes, I will reply right away!" The little maid believed it and bowed respectfully before leaving.
In a moment, Wang Qiaozhen slammed the door, entered the house with a sullen face, and continued pacing, anxiously waiting for news.
As she paced back and forth, she caught a glimpse of a spittoon filled with vomit, and felt irritated and uneasy. However, she did not dare to ask others to clean it, so she had to secretly empty it herself.
As a result, after waiting for half a day until she fell asleep due to fatigue, her trusted maid still did not return.
The young widow, who is worried about many things, has been having nightmares every time she falls asleep recently.
Just as she was deeply trapped in a nightmare, someone suddenly caressed her cheek and a familiar voice sounded in her ears, calling out:
"Qiaozhen? Wake up."
"Girl Zhen? Why don't you eat again? Wake up and eat before you go back to sleep!"
Wang sat on the edge of the couch, reached out and covered her eldest daughter-in-law's forehead, and said worriedly, "It's not hot, it doesn't look like a fever."
Liao Xiaodie accompanied her, bending down to examine Wang Qiaozhen, and softly suggested, "But she looks pale. In my opinion, we should call a doctor as soon as possible to see her."
The mother-in-law's gentle touch made Wang Qiaozhen's heart tremble. She was half asleep, half awake, and in a trance, as if she was making love with her lover, and she murmured incoherently: "Dream... Dream, dream..."
"What?"
Wang was old, deaf and blind, and couldn't hear clearly at all. She leaned closer and asked, "What are you mumbling about?"
"Dream?" Wang misunderstood and nudged her eldest daughter-in-law in annoyance. "What time is it? And you're blaming me for disturbing your sweet dream? Get up quickly!"
Wang Qiaozhen was pushed awake. She shuddered, her eyes suddenly widened, and she sat up, hugging the quilt. Her chest heaved violently. She looked at her mother-in-law in horror, wondering desperately:
Oh no, I seemed to be talking in my sleep just now. I wonder if my mother-in-law heard it?
Are Liao Xiaodie and the others here too?
How much did they understand?
"Why is the old lady here?" Wang Qiaozhen tried her best to remain calm.
Wang, with her hair all white, adjusted her headband and asked in feigned anger, "Why? I can't come?"
"No, I'm just afraid of passing my illness on to you." Wang Qiaozhen felt extremely guilty.
"No problem."
Wang asked with concern, "I heard from the servants that you went to bed without eating again. How can that be? Why didn't you eat? Are you too sick to eat?"
"No. I just caught a cold. It's nothing serious."
Wang Qiaozhen hugged the quilt tightly, staring at her mother-in-law who had always been tolerant and even indulgent towards her, and lied, "It's really too cold. I have frostbite. The illness isn't uncomfortable, but frostbite is very uncomfortable. I was so itchy last night that I couldn't sleep. It was better during the day, so I was too sleepy to eat."
"Put your hand out, let me see it."
Wang Qiaozhen followed instructions and stretched her right hand out from under the quilt. Her knuckles were indeed slightly red and swollen.
"Oh, what a pitiful thing!" Wang held her eldest daughter-in-law's hand and examined it carefully. She asked distressedly, "I asked someone to collect more than a dozen ointments for you, but there's not a single one that can cure frostbite?"
Wang Qiaozhen was absent-minded and shook her head.
"My sister-in-law has suffered." Liao Xiaodie interrupted, saying softly, "Alas, frostbite is a disease, but it's not a disease either. It's extremely torturous. Even if it heals this year, if you accidentally get a cold next year, I'm afraid it will come back." After speaking, she touched the scar on her face, looked at Wang Qiaozhen, and sighed:
"Chilblains are like spring rashes – hard to prevent. Growing up, I've been very careful every spring, but I often fail to prevent them. I don't know how many times I've suffered."
Wang Qiaozhen was too distracted to pay attention to the "poor relative begging for free food and drink" and just casually agreed, "Yeah, it's really troublesome."
Wang tucked her eldest daughter-in-law's hand back into the quilt, feeling deeply sympathetic. She said helplessly, "Alas, the northwest is indeed much colder than the capital, and the winter is long. I'm not used to it. But there's nothing I can do. I can only endure it." Then, she changed the subject and warned:
"Your illness and frostbite must have been caused by catching a cold while burning incense outside. Don't go out again until the weather warms up, and get enough rest. But even if you're staying home during the winter, you can't skip meals. You have to eat three meals a day. In my opinion, your body is slowly weakening because you love to sleep in and never eat breakfast."
"Old lady..." As soon as the mother-in-law mentioned the word "burning incense", Wang Qiaozhen instantly became nervous and her face turned pale.
Wang sighed, "Alright, alright, I'm too lazy to talk to you!" She turned away and ordered unhappily, "Call Fang Sheng over immediately to examine Zhen. What prescription did he prescribe? The patient has taken several doses in a row, and there's no effect! He should try a different one."
"Yes." The maid took the order and left.
No, I absolutely cannot have my pulse checked! In fear, Wang Qiaozhen blurted out, "Wait! I'm almost recovered. I don't need to see a doctor."
Wang frowned and said without hesitation, "Look at you, you look pale. You're sick, how can you recover without taking medicine? We must let Fang Sheng take a look. If he can't help, we should immediately call a doctor outside. Don't let a minor illness turn into a major one."
Liao Xiaodie seemed concerned and chimed in, "Old Madam is right. Sister-in-law, don't take it lightly. Let the doctor take your pulse. Perhaps a different prescription will cure your illness."
"I, I..." Wang Qiaozhen couldn't refute it, so she could only bite the bullet and agree, "Okay, that's fine."
Wang nodded happily. "That's right!" She turned again and instructed the maid, "Use the leather and herbs that Yushu sent back a few days ago. Pick out the thicker ones and make two sets of warm clothes for Zhen as soon as possible. Also, tell Fang Sheng to prepare a recipe for medicinal food to nourish Zhen."
"Yes." The maid standing beside her bowed.
Liao Xiaodie smiled and said, "The old lady really loves her sister-in-law. Others can only envy her."
Wang Qiaozhen regained her composure and habitually chided her, "The old lady is kind and loves you. Don't you also have skin?"
"Well, I plan to make clothes for Zhu'er." Liao Xiaodie leaned close to Wang, "I'll let Baozhu wear new clothes someday to pay her respects to you."
Wang was once a noblewoman, a noblewoman of a high-ranking family. Though she had fallen on hard times, her family fortune had recovered. She wasn't stingy by nature, and was accustomed to being generous. She said generously, "It's not an antique. It'll break if it's kept for a long time. Use it when you need it! Anyway, Honglei is in Tuningwei. I heard that Tuning is rich in leather and medicinal herbs. Just ask him to get some more when he runs out."
Everyone was chatting, and Wang Qiaozhen was suffering and had to join in the conversation.
Oh my god, oh my god, how am I going to get through this round today? Wang Qiaozhen was terrified, her palms sweating. She thought to herself: Later, when Fang Sheng takes my pulse, what if he says in front of everyone, "Strange, how could this be a pregnancy pulse?"
Then, I won’t be able to explain it.
I was young and chaste, and because of my status as a widow, I was loved by my relatives, doted on by my mother-in-law, respected by my brother-in-law, and polite to my sister-in-law... I enjoyed all kinds of preferential treatment and had an upper hand.
If I really get pregnant, all the preferential treatment will be gone, and I will be branded as "lowly and shameless". Such a shameful thing will make me lose face and be criticized.
A moment later
Suddenly, a maid reported: "Old Madam, Master Yu said it's too cold and he doesn't want to get up and study. What do you think...?"
Wang laughed dumbly and pointed at her eldest daughter-in-law with her index finger, "Listen, Yu'er has learned from you! Oh, little kids, if you don't study hard, what can you do when you grow up?"
Wang Qiaozhen nodded instantly as if she had been pardoned. "Hmph, that brat loves to play around. You should try to persuade him first. When I'm better, I'll teach him a lesson myself!"
"Alright, calm down and take a rest." Wang stood up, Liao Xiaodie hurriedly supported her. The old man led the others out, saying, "I have my own way of disciplining my grandson."
Liao Xiaodie lowered her eyes, gloating, thinking: Once we leave, she'll probably be able to get away with it. But she can't hide forever, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Pooh!
The bitch surnamed Wang secretly poisoned me and destroyed my appearance. I will not be a human being if I don’t avenge her!
As soon as the crowd dispersed, Wang Qiaozhen felt relieved. She fell back into bed tiredly, biting her lips hard, and pondered how to fool the doctor.
The next moment
There was a hasty knock on the door. "Madam? I'm back."
They are back!
Wang Qiaozhen was shocked and immediately sat up, "Come in!"
After a while, the two maids, whose faces were pale and lips were purple from the cold, bolted the door, hurried in, stopped, and seemed to want to say something but stopped.
Wang Qiaozhen was filled with anticipation and was extremely nervous. She gripped the bedpost, leaned forward, and whispered, "How is it? What did Master Zhou say?"
One of the trusted maids was named Ping'er, and the other was named Xiaomei. Ping'er shook her head and replied awkwardly, "We followed your instructions and waited at the usual place, but we waited and waited, but Master Zhou never showed up."
"Because I was afraid of being suspected by my late return, I did not dare to stay for long and hurried back."
"What?"
"You actually came back without seeing anyone?"
Wang Qiaozhen was stunned and stunned for a moment, then she angrily scolded, "You fool! It's snowy and windy, and the road is difficult to travel. Maybe if you wait a quarter of an hour longer, he'll come."
The two maids stood in front of the couch, at a loss as to what to do. "Madam, please calm down."
"So, what should we do now?"
Mengsheng, Mengsheng... Wang Qiaozhen was filled with worry. She gritted her teeth and slammed the bedpost. "What else can we do? He said that he would burn incense on the first, fifth, fifteenth and twenty-fifth day of every month. In a few days, you go there again and be sure to tell him what I mean. Let him--" Before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt nauseous and covered her mouth with her hands to heave.
"lady!"
"Are you alright?" The two maids exchanged a look of panic. Not daring to say anything, they hurriedly picked up the spittoon, prepared hot water, handkerchiefs, and other things, and began to serve Wang Qiaozhen.
soon
There was another knock on the door, and the maid announced, "Madam, Doctor Fang is here to see you."
There was silence inside the door for a while before the maid's voice was heard, "Come in."
"yes."
In a blink of an eye, two maids led Fang Sheng into the inner room, where they saw the curtains hanging down and a wrist stretched out.
"Doctor, please take my pulse." Ping'er moved a round stool and placed it in front of the couch.
Fang Sheng nodded and sat down, expertly examining her pulse. After a long pause, he withdrew and soothed her, "Madam, you just caught a cold. It's nothing serious. Your pulse is much better than last time. I'll prescribe a new prescription. Take it for six days, and you should be fully recovered."
Inside the couch, Wang Qiaozhen lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, and said calmly, "Don't prescribe a prescription that's too bitter. I can't drink it."
"This... I'll do my best." Fang Sheng stood up, behaved properly, and lowered his head.
Wang Qiaozhen continued, "These past two days, I've not only been feeling dizzy but also having no appetite, feeling cold, and feeling nauseous. Do you have any advice?"
"Madam, don't be too alarmed. This is just how colds work." Fang Sheng consoled her. "I'll write a prescription and you just need to take it on time."
Wang Qiaozhen sighed softly, "I understand."
"I won't disturb you from resting. Goodbye."
"go."
Fang Sheng bowed slightly, picked up the medicine box, and followed the old woman away.
After the maid had seen the guest off, she carefully bolted the door, returned to the inner room, lifted the curtain, and said, "Well, the doctor has left."
"Hmm!" Xiaomei crawled out of the quilt, got out of bed, tidied her hair, and hung the curtains skillfully.
——The doctor had no idea that the pulse he was taking was not Wang Qiaozhen’s, but the maid’s.
At the same time, guest rooms
"Oh!"
Liao Xiaodie sat upright, combing her hair in front of the mirror, smiling, but when she saw the scar, she felt glaring and her face darkened.
With a "snap", she slammed the comb hard, raised her hand to touch the scar, sneered and thought to herself:
Mengsheng, Zhou Mengsheng.
Humph, Wang Qiaozhen, you want to see Mengsheng? Go to the dream and ask Zhou Gong!
The two places were separated, and Jiang Yushu and others had no idea what happened in Heqin's family.
She was so absorbed in meeting the guests that at noon the county magistrate and his wife insisted on leaving as usual. They only stayed for dinner once because of a snowstorm, fearing that they would annoy their host.
After seeing the guests off, Jiang Yushu walked briskly into the east room. Unexpectedly, just as she stretched out her hand to the inner door curtain, before she opened it, she heard her father say:
"Alas, Yushu is too ignorant. I will teach her later. As a wife, you must not only be dignified and virtuous, but also generous."
Guo Honglei shook his head and used the cloth tiger to play with his son. "You blamed her wrongly. It was actually my idea."
"Okay, stop covering up for her."
Jiang Shisen took it for granted and didn't believe it at all. He frowned and said, "It's my daughter's fault, and as a father, I have no choice but to take responsibility. I will definitely give her a lecture later. How can she stop her husband from taking a concubine?"
"Even if she becomes a lady-in-waiting, she must respect her husband!"
The author has something to say: Happy National Day, little angels (*＾▽＾*)
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