Chapter 408 Different Fates for the Same People
Li San Niang really didn't expect that her identity would be exposed by a laundry woman, and she had a feeling that she finally understood.
"Now that you know who I am, you've come to my door asking for my help because someone needs it?"
Now that they were about to talk things out, Li San Niang asked Mama Shen to get up and sit down. However, when the topic of saving people came up, Mama Shen's smile vanished. Unlike her earlier act, she was now genuinely heartbroken and burst into tears.
"Please, Lady Li, save my good-for-nothing daughter!"
With a "plop," Mother Shen knelt down in front of Li San Niang and kowtowed, her voice choked with suppressed sobs, full of pleading.
It turns out that ten years ago, the Orchid Troupe, where Mama Shen worked, bought a group of young girls who had been sold by their parents from a broker. Mama Shen, who was the top courtesan in the Orchid Troupe at the time, was assigned one of these young girls to serve her.
This young girl was later adopted by Mama Shen. Mama Shen wanted to redeem her adopted daughter, Pingniang, who was sold into servitude by the common people and was eligible for redemption.
But before Mother Shen could redeem Pingniang, Pingniang reached the age of fifteen and was stripped of her title by the troupe leader at the time.
Mother Shen held Pingniang, whose face had turned pale from being tortured or rather, humiliated, and cried out in anguish.
Then, after five years, Ms. Shen became the current head of the Orchid Class.
"Women like us are destined to spend our whole lives in bitterness, we just want to suffer less."
Nobody wants children, but when you're entertaining clients, how can you guarantee that a child won't get on your body?
Pingniang had a child after that. I found a herbalist and bought medicine for her. Although she suffered some pain, it still made Pingniang feel scared.
This child secretly went to an old woman, bought mercury, and drank it without my knowledge!
Li San Niang knew that this was the same principle as when Qi Zhi Die asked her to prescribe medicine for the women in Shi Hua Lou. In such a setting, it was inevitable that some women would become pregnant. But once pregnant, they were not in control of their own lives, so how could they give birth to another child?
Furthermore, in this place, even if you have a child, you'll still have to entertain customers, so you might as well just get rid of the child.
However, most extreme contraceptive methods are harmful to the body, just like the mercury that Mama Shen mentioned her adopted daughter Pingniang drank.
That's mercury!
How can drinking heavy metals possibly be good for you?
Therefore, Li San Niang did not prescribe these poisons to the maids in Shi Hua Lou. Instead, she prescribed a nourishing contraceptive soup and found Ling Lan to teach her some methods of contraception.
"Where is he? How is he now?"
"Li San Niangzi is in the building. I'll have someone carry her over right away."
As she spoke, Madam Shen got up to leave. Li San Niang thought for a moment, glanced at Qi Zhidie, and then said, "Never mind, it's not suitable to move the patient. I'll go over there myself. You keep an eye on things and make sure no one sees me."
If my identity is revealed, I won't be able to help you anymore.
When Li San Niang arrived at the Orchid Classroom wearing a cloak and hood, she saw the pale-faced woman lying on the bed, her forehead covered in sweat, muttering in her sleep. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt fortunate that she had arrived in time.
She quickly went forward to check and repeatedly questioned the young girl who had been walking, sitting and lying down with Ping Niang. After learning that Ping Niang had drunk about a teacup-sized amount of mercury two weeks ago, Li San Niang had a clear understanding of the situation.
First, take out the gold needle pouch and quickly promote the body's digestive system to expel toxins.
He found paper and pen, and wrote down a prescription: "Although she drank quite a lot, she is still a young woman. These symptoms indicate poisoning. Just get rid of the toxins from her body."
You should find someone to get this herbal soup. Divide it into three meals a day, morning, noon and night, and force it to be taken after meals. Even if you can't eat, you have to force it to eat, otherwise how can you detoxify?
"It usually takes three to five days to relieve most of the symptoms, at least the sweating and trembling will stop," Li San Niang pointed to Ping Niang's still trembling eyelids.
Mother Shen happily accepted the prescription handed over by Li San Niang, "Oh, oh, oh, I'll send someone to get the medicine right away."
"Thank you so much, Miss Li, thank you so much!"
"I came back to check later and changed the prescription. Drinking it for half a month should be able to expel the remaining toxins."
"Then you can come find me at Shihualou."
After giving a few more instructions, Li San Niang quickly followed Qiu Xiang and left the class of the most beautiful girl.
After returning to Shihualou, Li Sanniang said to Linglan, "You looked at it just now, did you figure it out?"
Linglan glanced at Ping An, who was sleeping in the basket, and when she heard Li San Niang's question, she quickly stood up and replied, "Master, then Mama Chen lied!"
Pingniang probably didn't want to drink that mercury herself, and her body was clearly recovering from a miscarriage.
Li San Niang nodded, quite pleased that Ling Lan could see this.
Time was tight, so Li San Niang asked Ling Lan to arrange for the women in Shi Hua Lou who were feeling unwell to come for a consultation. While seeing the women, Li San Niang would explain things to Ling Lan, providing hands-on teaching so that Ling Lan would have a deeper impression.
Busy until late at night, Qi Zhidie came in carrying a tray with two baskets of meat buns, holding a cup of steaming hot tea.
"It was bought from that shop on the street. Didn't Third Sister say it was delicious?"
It's still warm from sitting on the stove, try it!
After eating two meat pies to warm her stomach, Li Sanniang sipped her tea when she heard Qi Zhidie calmly say, "I've found that old woman. From now on, she can only do laundry in the building and is not allowed to go home."
As for Pingniang from the Orchid Class, I've also found out about her.
Mother Shen is quite something; she speaks with three parts truth and seven parts falsehood. It's hard to say what kind of person she is, but at least her eagerness to save her daughter is genuine.
It turned out to be a man Pingniang had previously met, who had won her heart and made her pregnant, a fact she kept secret from Mama Shen.
Madam Shen only realized that Pingniang was pregnant after hearing from the maid that Pingniang had changed her menstrual pads frequently!
How could Chen's mother possibly accept this?
However, aside from her initial anger, Madam Shen later considered Pingniang's future and sent someone to investigate the young man.
Only then did I realize that this young man was not from Chang'an, but from Yanzhou.
I learned from the fellow villagers at the inn where this young man was staying that he not only had a wife back home, but also two children.
Madam Shen knew that this was no good man who could bring Pingniang home. Perhaps the money this young man spent on brothels came from his wife's weaving.
At this point, Madam Shen presented the truth to Pingniang, but Pingniang, much like Jiuniang, now only wanted the child and not the man.
But Jiu Niang has a sister like Qi Zhi Die to entrust her with, what does Ping Niang have?
If this child is born and raised in the orchid class, he will only be a pimp; even if he is given to his father, that man will likely drown the child.
So, regardless of whether Pingniang was willing or not, Mama Shen forced her to take an abortion pill, and afterwards, just in case, she gave her mercury to drink.
At that moment, with tears streaming down her face, Madam Shen looked at Pingniang's resentful eyes and half-huddled with her, saying, "If you want to hate me, then hate me. I did take you in as my daughter after all, how could I watch you jump into the fire pit?"
Hate, hate is good, only with hate can you live well.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com