Chapter 23 Awakening… “So brave!”
As usual, everyone expected Lin Meizhu to remain silent and bow her head, then quietly avoid the crowd. However, they saw that the person who was supposed to be submissive suddenly raised her head.
They were clearly the ones standing on the higher ground, observing everything, but when they caught her gaze, they suddenly felt uneasy and frightened. They all looked hesitant and knelt, "Greetings, Crown Princess."
Qing'er was already irritated by their impudence, but seeing them forced to bow to Lin Meizhu was a delight. She was just about to roll up her sleeves and teach the loudest kid in red a lesson when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Lang'er is young, and her careless words offended the Crown Princess. Please don't take offense, Crown Princess."
Su Qinxue took the hand of her four-year-old cousin, Qin Lang, and gave him a soothing look. She bowed slightly and said, "Lang'er, why don't you apologize to the Crown Prince's Consort?"
Qin Lang's mother, Zheng, breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for Su Qinxue's timely intervention. Everyone in the capital knew that Shen Changfeng and Su Qinxue were childhood sweethearts, sharing a deep bond. Furthermore, Shen Changfeng and Su Qinxue's husband, Qin Yan, were also close friends. Lin Meizhu had to consider the matter. Besides, Lang'er was just a child.
Zheng stepped forward and said, "Lang'er is ignorant. Please forgive me, Crown Princess..." Then she pushed her son and said in a serious tone, "Hurry and apologize to the Crown Princess!"
Qin Lang rubbed his hands in grievance. He had no idea what he had done wrong. Being watched by so many people, he stammered and refused to say a word.
Qin Moyun, dressed in pink, slapped her brother in the face. "Did you hear me apologize?!"
Qin Lang burst into tears, "I'm sorry... I didn't know she was here!"
Zheng's apologetic smile froze, and she wished she could stuff her son back into her stomach.
Qin Moyun was so angry that her face turned red. She raised her palm to hit him again: "Stop talking nonsense! I asked you to apologize, not to say anything else!"
Qin Moyun... Lin Meiju recognized her. She was the little girl she helped up on the steps that night at the palace banquet.
Qin Moyun looked guilty, angry and anxious, and it seemed that he recognized Lin Meiju.
Lin Meizhu smiled slightly, her gaze fixed on Qin Lang as she approached him step by step. She walked slowly and steadily, and the noise on the platform gradually faded, leaving only the sound of her footsteps.
Everyone's heart was in their throat. Some were afraid, some were curious, and some were excited to watch the fun. They couldn't help but look sideways: Is she really going to make things difficult for a child who has just learned to speak?
However, the results were somewhat disappointing.
Lin Meizhu stopped in front of Qin Lang, stopped Qin Moyun's hand from scolding him, and smiled: "It's okay."
Everyone's hearts settled down, and they felt it was natural: Lin Meizhu was still the same Lin Meizhu.
Qin Lang was still sobbing when he suddenly heard a smiling voice from the other side: "Look, what is this?"
Qin Lang opened his eyes and his crying gradually subsided: "It's a grasshopper!"
Lin Meizhu gently tugged on the fishing line at the grasshopper's tail, and the grasshopper's wings fluttered as it gently leaped forward through the air. She had made this grasshopper a few days ago from reed stalks left over from making zongzi, and she hadn't expected it to be put to good use here.
Qin Lang was so pleased that he blinked away his tears: "It's amazing! The tentacles can move!"
Lin Meizhu picked up the grasshopper and asked, "Do you want it?"
Qin Lang nodded hurriedly and reached out to take it.
Lin Meizhu said, "I can give it to you... but first you have to tell me what '倒贴' means."
Qin Lang immediately looked at Qin Moyun beside him. The latter shrugged, and the meaning on his face was very clear: I also have only a vague understanding of it.
Seeing Lin Meizhu trying to put the grasshopper away, she anxiously pulled Zheng's sleeve and shouted, "Mom, tell me quickly..."
Everyone's eyes turned to Zheng.
Zheng had been unable to interrupt, still trying to figure out how to get the conversation over with. Suddenly, her son's shouting made her face burn. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. "How should I know? You're just talking nonsense!"
So Qin Lang looked at the crowd beside him, hoping to ask for help from those who were also there chatting that day.
A buzz suddenly arose in the crowd.
"What does a kid know about being a scapegoat? It turns out someone is plotting against you behind the scenes..."
"They're still a family of scholars..."
"Don't the Qin family and the Shen family have a good relationship? ... You can only judge a person by his appearance, not his heart."
Lin Meiju listened to the discussions of the people around her, pretending to be surprised. Her face suddenly turned cold and she took a step forward.
Zheng had been there to watch the fun, but she hadn't expected to become such a laughingstock, her face aching like needles. Lin Meizhu's impassive half-step back was a testament to her unconcealed disgust and disdain, despite her polite restraint.
Qin Lang finally found Su Qinxue, who had retreated behind the crowd. Just as he was about to greet her, he heard a stern rebuke: "Erlang's wife, why don't you kneel down and apologize to the Crown Prince's wife!"
The ebony cane made a crisp sound when it hit the blue brick floor. An old woman with gray hair walked out from the crowd. She tightened her lips and pushed hard against Zheng's knee. Zheng was in so much pain that she burst into tears and knelt down in a daze.
"I am from the Zhao family of the Qin clan..." The old man bowed deeply and said, "I have failed to educate my children properly, which has led to my foolish daughter-in-law and grandson's inappropriate words and rudeness to Fengyi. Today, when I return home, I will reflect on my mistakes and discipline them according to the family rules. I hope the Crown Prince's wife will forgive me!"
Lin Meizhu waited for her to finish, then gave her a false helping hand and replied, "Old Madam Zhao, you're too kind. The Qin family has been a family of nobles for generations, founded on propriety. How could they truly produce such a rebellious person? Furthermore, the Crown Prince and the eldest son of the Qin family share similar personalities and are close friends. Perhaps it's the heat and confusion today that has caused the young master to have difficulty speaking."
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Zhao's face, for Lin Meizhu had hit the nail on the head. The Qin family had been a family tradition steeped in poetry and culture for centuries, but in recent years, most of the descendants had become addicted to sensual pleasures, gradually declining. Otherwise, Erlang wouldn't have married Zheng, the daughter of a merchant. Only with the emergence of Qin Yan in this generation, and the arrival of County Lady Su Qinxue as a descendant of the Qin family, had things finally improved.
These few words were like a needle hidden in cotton, which not only hit the Qin family's sore spot, but also showed his magnanimity everywhere, which was very noble.
Zhao was determined not to let this matter implicate Qin Yan and his wife, and she bent even lower. "The Crown Princess is very perceptive. I, along with this foolish woman and my grandson, will burn incense and confess my sins to the ancestral hall. Later, I will offer a handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra to pray for the Princess."
As her brocade skirt brushed against the blue bricks, Lin Meizhu added nonchalantly, "Good!"
Behind her, Su Qinxue's eyes gradually became deeper.
On the bamboo forest path, Qing'er's tone was full of joy, and even her steps felt unusually brisk: "I never knew! It turns out that young ladies are so good at talking!"
Lin Meizhu smiled and said, "Actually, I'm not very good at it..." Compared to this kind of sarcasm that is apparently praising but actually criticizing, the rural method of pointing at people's noses and cursing is more satisfying and easier to practice.
Qing'er said, "That's even more amazing! Even though he's not good at it, he can still say it so well! You don't know, those people didn't dare to breathe even when they saw him! He's so majestic!"
As they were talking, they came to a fork in the road. Lin Meizhu whispered, "Go ahead. I'll be waiting for you up ahead. Be careful not to let anyone see anything wrong."
Lin Meizhu had something important to learn on this trip, because she hadn't seen Chuqi's name on the list of successful candidates in the Spring Examination last year.
Lin Meizhu speculated that Chuqi had missed the provincial examination because he had to take care of the sick Chen Huisheng. Otherwise, with his ability, it would not be difficult for him to pass the provincial examination and then pass the imperial examination.
According to Wei Dynasty law, the provincial examinations were held every three years; those who missed them had to wait three years. Fortunately, this year, the emperor celebrated his birthday by offering a special examination: the provincial examinations in March and the metropolitan examinations in October. Shortly after the provincial examination results were announced, many scholars had gone to Keats Temple to discuss the restoration of the gods, so it wasn't difficult to obtain a copy of the list of winners.
After Qing'er left, Lin Meiju looked for a shady place to walk.
The bamboo forest in summer is like a vast emerald ocean. The bamboo tips sway gently in the heat wave, sifting through the scorching midday sun and letting golden fragments fill the ground.
The stream was soaked in the green shadows of the bamboos, reflecting a few dark green bamboo tiles.
The chirping of cicadas and the gurgling of water were suddenly interrupted by a sudden scream.
“Help, help!”
"Someone come quickly!"
Lin Meiju walked quickly over and pushed aside the branches of the bushes. She saw two people running for their lives in the distance. The one in front looked like a schoolboy, and the one behind was a weak, thin, white-faced scholar.
Looking more closely, it seemed as if something was moving rapidly among the layers of yellow leaves on the ground, and a rustling sound could be heard continuously.
The scholar ran slowly, and the servant boy saw that he could no longer run, so he turned back and lifted him onto his shoulders. The scholar happened to be face to face with the black snake with its neck puffed up. He was so frightened that he couldn't breathe up or down, and his legs kicked wildly: "Help... me!"
As the master and servant engaged in a struggle, a shadow flashed by. Looking back, the silver ring snake was swung through the air, forming a full moon before crashing heavily onto the cracked river rocks, splashing a few drops of blood. Before the limp snake could hit the ground, the fairy-like woman flipped her palm and unsheathed a short dagger. A cold light cut through the golden lines, then two fingers penetrated the hesitant snake's body, feeling for something.
Lin Meiju killed snakes to get their gallbladders out of habit. Lingnan was plagued by miasma and was infested with snakes, rats, insects, and ants. In her early years, she and Chuqi followed Chen Huisheng up the mountain to collect herbs and were frightened by snakes, so they ran around. Chen Huisheng would catch the snakes while scolding them for being useless.
"Ordinary snake gallbladders can be sold for up to three hundred coins, rare snake gallbladders for one tael of silver, and if made into snake gallbladder wine, it can be sold for two taels of silver. Live venomous snakes are even more expensive..."
Lin Meiju and Chuqi smiled at each other and stopped running.
By the time Lin Meiju realized what she was doing, it was too late to stop. Holding the snake gallbladder that had nowhere to go, she slowly raised her head and met two faces that were shocked beyond words.
The scholar pointed at Lin Meizhu with a trembling index finger and said, "Okay... okay..."
The servant boy continued his words: "How brave!"
The scholar raised his thumb and said with all his strength: "Brave!" Then his eyes went dark and he fell backwards.
The servant hurriedly supported him and burst into tears: "Master, please don't die! If you die, I will die too!"
Lin Meizhu hurried forward to check. She saw that the scholar's face was blue, his breathing was rapid, and his hands were tightly clutching his chest. She asked, "Where's the medicine?"
The servant boy was obviously stunned. He only reacted after being reminded. He tugged at his sleeves twice and found that they were empty. He ran back to look for it as if he was flying: "It just ran away. I'll go find it now!"
Seeing that the scholar was sweating profusely and his breathing was becoming shallow, Lin Meiju did not care about anything else. She wiped her hands hurriedly, laid the man flat on the ground, took out a small needle bag, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and inserted a needle into the inner Guanxue point on his forearm. When the needle tip broke the skin, it was like a bird's beak pecking at rice, fast and light.
When the servant came back, he saw Lin Meiju twisting the needle handle with two fingers, like twisting a hemp rope.
The servant was horrified: "Does she know who the person on the ground is? How dare she treat him casually?"
But when he heard the groaning sound on the ground gradually become smaller, the servant boy's suspicion turned into admiration. He did not dare to rush out and interrupt the treatment. He just held his breath and waited with the medicine bottle in his hand.
Lin Meizhu turned the scholar's palm over again, found the Ximen acupoint with her fingertips, and inserted another needle.
The muscles in the scholar's palms twitched like a rat, and suddenly he felt a warm current hitting his heart. He sighed and slowly woke up.
Lin Meizhu spread her hands, "Here's the medicine."
The servant boy stepped forward obediently and said, "Here it is."
Lin Meizhu took out the pill and sniffed it, identifying it as Suhexiang Pill. Suhexiang Pills are primarily used to treat chest pain. The three main ingredients are styrax, benzoin, musk, and borneol, the latter of which was also a tribute offered by the invading nations of the South China Sea. This scholar was not an ordinary wealthy man.
The pale-faced scholar took the pill and his face turned a little red. He took Lin Meizhu's hand and said, "My lady, you are kind and compassionate. I have no way to repay you. I can only..."
Lin Meiju looked at him and suddenly burst out laughing.
The scholar scratched his head and was not annoyed when he was exposed. He smiled and said, "I thought I looked very similar." It seemed that she recognized that she was a girl from the beginning.
She looked at Lin Meizhu, who looked about the same age as her, and praised her sincerely, "You are amazing!"
sharp?
Lin Meiju cast her gaze on the person in front of her. The other person blinked his beautiful almond-shaped eyes. The admiration and respect in his eyes did not seem fake. Upon closer inspection, he even revealed envy.
No one has ever praised her medical skills.
Her parents would be ashamed of her medical skills. Even Chen Huisheng initially disapproved of her medical studies. It wasn't because of the idea that the tradition was passed down to sons, but because he felt that even if she endured all the hardships to learn medicine, it would not be accepted by the world. Chen Huisheng was right. Every time she went to see a doctor, even if she was just helping to write the prescription and pick the medicine, the patient would be skeptical and ask Chen Huisheng or Chuqi to confirm it again.
The immense sense of accomplishment made her heart swell up, and she felt like she was about to float with joy. "Amazing? Really?"
"Really! You can run so fast, catch snakes, and do acupuncture! That's amazing!"
She had never imagined that she would be moved to tears by a few words from a stranger. She realized that what she had been searching for was actually just a simple affirmation.
Lin Meizhu lowered her eyes and pretended to wipe her hands to cover up her loss of composure, but her voice was already nasal: "Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you," the scholar invited her. "Let's find a place to sit down and have a good chat... Those bamboo houses are great."
"That must have been decided in advance."
"It's okay. They're all from the Great Wei anyway. It's okay for them to sit down."
Lin Meizhu knew that if this continued, they would definitely exchange names, but she still had reservations in her heart: "We just met by chance, so let's say goodbye now. Please understand, young lady."
Finally, she said, "Young lady, can you keep today's events a secret for me?"
The scholar felt it was a pity, and his face showed regret, but he did not force it. "Of course, we will meet again if we are destined to."
Lin Meizhu returned alone. As she passed a fork in the road, she saw a large group of people approaching from the other side. The one leading them looked familiar. She glanced at the blood-stained hem of her skirt, her heart tightening, and she hid behind the bamboo hut.
Shen Changfeng raised his head slightly and saw a goose yellow skirt flash by. Listening to the increasingly wanton teasing beside him, his brows gradually furrowed.
Someone noticed his distraction and teased, "What are you thinking about, Prince?"
Someone started to make a noise, "The prince is newly married, so naturally he's thinking about the one at home."
"That's right, the prince hasn't come out for a while, and the sisters are missing you so much!"
"Home has its own good points, and the best is cleanliness!"
Lin Meizhu knew she had to leave. She had to leave. She didn't want to know his reply at all. She walked quickly, sticking close to the wall, but the voice behind her still caught up with her.
Amidst the laughter, she clearly heard his sarcastic ridicule.
"Being born as a concubine, I can never be presentable."
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