The old lady smiled and said, "No wonder, I just saw that your handwriting is very beautiful. Although it is not strong and vigorous, the characters are flowing like clouds and water, and the strokes are like clouds and smoke. It lacks the gracefulness of a girl and has more of the unrestrainedness of a man. It turns out that your brother taught you this."
Old Madam Liu has lived to this age and is very insightful about people and things. When she saw Yu Jiao mention her brother in Qingzhou, she seemed to have a very good relationship with him. She said, "From what you said, your brother won the first place in the Tongsheng examination at the age of thirteen, and also won the Liyuan examination. He is quite talented in literature. After the New Year's Day, it will be the Spring Examination. Has he come to the capital to take the exam?"
Yu Jiao nodded slightly, "I came to the capital earlier. I want to go out and look for him tomorrow."
Old Madam Liu looked at Yu Jiao's well-behaved appearance and smiled lovingly, "Do you know where your brother lives? Why don't you send a servant to invite him to your house for tea?"
Yu Jiao shook her head. She had not yet told Yu Qizhe about her life story. If they met, they would definitely have a lot to talk about. It might not be comfortable to invite him to the Liu Mansion. She also wanted to go and see where Yu Qizhe lived.
"No need, grandma." Yu Jiao made an excuse, "Yu's elder sister came here with me. She came to the capital to accompany my brother to the imperial examination. We will go together tomorrow. She is moving in with my brother."
Old Madam Liu had never heard that someone from Qingzhou had come with Yu Jiao, so she asked, "Why didn't you bring Miss Yu to eat with you? Grandmother forgot to ask. The mansion has everything, and there is a vacant yard. Let Miss Yu live in the mansion with peace of mind. If your brother is not comfortable living outside, he can move in."
Mother Liu came in from the outer room with some mugwort. Yu Jiao gently declined the old lady's kindness, "The courtyard that my brother rented is secluded, and he needs to study and prepare for the exam. I would like to thank Grandma for her kindness on behalf of my brother."
Old Lady Liu looked at Yu Jiao's clear almond eyes, thinking that she had just returned to the Liu family, so she was inevitably restrained and cautious in her actions, trying to measure her limits everywhere. Perhaps she was afraid that if she really brought the Yu family who raised her in Qingzhou to the mansion, she would overstep the boundaries.
He couldn't help but sighed and touched Yu Jiao's head, "Third girl, this mansion will be your home from now on. We are all close family members. There is no need to be reserved and polite in front of family members."
Yu Jiao nodded obediently. She took the wormwood from Liu's hand, raised her little face and said to the old lady, "Grandma, please take a bath and change your clothes first. I will give you moxibustion in a while."
Old Mrs. Liu had never tried moxa fumigation before, and today was the first time she heard about it from Yu Jiao. She was very curious about how moxa fumigation was performed, so she stood up and asked Mrs. Liu to help her go to the west wing to take a bath and wash up.
Yu Jiao took the mugwort and worked slowly. When Mother Liu took the mugwort, Yu Jiao asked her to bring a stone mortar. The dried mugwort needed to be pounded into mugwort fluff first, and then rolled into mugwort sticks with paper.
After Mrs. Liu finished her bath, Yu Jiao had already made a dozen moxa sticks.
Yu Jiao entered the wing where the old lady lived. After the maids dried Mrs. Liu's hair, Yu Jiao said, "Grandma, you can just lie on the bed."
Old Madam Liu was only wearing a middle-length dress. She followed the instructions and lay down on the bed. Yu Jiao also took off her shoes and got on the bed. She said in a gentle voice, "Grandma, you need to take off your clothes for moxibustion. Your granddaughter has violated the rules."
Old Mrs. Liu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's okay."
No wonder she had never heard of moxibustion before. It turns out that one has to take off clothes. Most of the doctors who practiced medicine in Taiyan were men, and there were very few female doctors. This practice of taking off clothes to practice medicine was like a woman treating a woman's disease, which was really disrespectful. Naturally, those male doctors did not dare to use this method.
Yu Jiao asked Madam Liu to bring over the candlestick, lit the moxa stick, and then uncovered Madam Liu's undershirt. She held the moxa stick to the point an inch above the acupuncture point and asked carefully, "Grandma, if you feel it's too hot, please remind me."
Madam Liu lay there stiffly and responded.
Yu Jiao moved her fingers and drew circular moxibustion on the acupuncture points in the lungs. When the flame of the burning moxa stick was covered with ash, she would flick the ash into the spittoon at the bedside.
Yu Jiao focused on moxibustioning the Zhongwan, Shenque, Guanyuan, and Qihai acupoints. She said, "Grandma, moxibustion can dispel wind and cold, dredge the meridians, and harmonize yin and yang. After the treatment, it is normal for you to cough up phlegm, burp, expel the five grains, and have loose stools."
Mrs. Liu didn't feel anything at first, but after an incense stick of time, she felt sweating and a coolness in her body seemed to flow down her legs to the soles of her feet. She had no appetite before, but now she felt hungry.
When Yu Jiao's moxibustion reached a certain spot, she frowned slightly and said, "It's a bit stinging and itchy when I moxibustion it here."
Yu Jiao smiled and whispered, "This is Guanyuan acupoint. Your meridians are blocked here. I just did it today, so it's common for you to feel a poor moxibustion sensation. I'll come and do it for you more often in the future."
Old Madam Liu felt very comfortable listening to her soft and gentle voice. She closed her eyes and said kindly, "Grandma really likes to hear you talk about pharmacology. When you have time in the future, come to my place every day and talk to me about pharmacology."
Yu Jiao focused on doing circular moxibustion on the Guanyuan acupoint several times. When it worked, she continued, "Movement generates yang, and yang generates life. Although you are old and don't like to move, you still need to exercise more. I will teach you Ba Duan Jin some other day."
"What kind of martial arts is Eight-Section Brocade?" Old Madam Liu opened her eyes and asked with surprise, "Third girl, have you ever practiced martial arts?"
Yu Jiao smiled, threw the burned moxa stick into the spittoon, replaced it with another one and continued to fumigate the acupuncture points, saying, "Ba Duan Jin is not a martial art. It has eight movements that are used to strengthen the body, stretch the muscles and bones, dredge the blood vessels, preserve the body fluids and replenish the Qi, dredge the blood and Qi, and promote the Yang Qi of the five internal organs."
Upon hearing that there were so many benefits, Old Lady Liu immediately responded, "Then you must teach me. I want to live a few more years to see you youngsters get married and start your own families."
"Grandma is not in any serious condition. Once the cold in her body is cured, she will definitely be strong again." Yu Jiao said.
Old Madam Liu narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Grandma likes to listen to you talk more and more."
After another stick of incense had passed, Old Lady Liu felt that the tingling sensation in the Guanyuan acupoint that Yu Jiao had just mentioned had lessened a lot. A stream of heat reached her lower back, and a large area of her lower back felt as hot as if it were being roasted by a stove. Her whole body felt refreshed.
Yu Jiao burned the last moxa stick and threw it into the spittoon. She said to the old lady, "Grandma, you are sweating. You can't wash yourself or you will get cold. If you feel uncomfortable, just wipe yourself with a handkerchief."
Old Madam Liu sat up and felt her body was more relaxed than ever before in the past few years. Although she was sweating, she did not feel uncomfortable, but the sweat was very cool.
She said to Mama Liu, "Get me some clean underwear."
After changing her clothes, Old Lady Liu held Yu Jiao's hand and said, "Grandma thinks this moxibustion is really effective." Glancing at the clock in the room, Old Lady Liu said apologetically, "You are so busy that you have to stay here until this hour. Why don't you stay in Grandma's courtyard tonight and sleep with Grandma?"
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