Yinso, I want to study medicine with my wife.
It was midnight and everything was quiet.
Lanzhu in the next bed had already fallen asleep and was even snoring softly, but Yinsuo had no desire to sleep at all. He tossed and turned in the moonlight, hugging the quilt, his mind full of what his wife had said in the afternoon: Yinsuo, do you want to study medicine with me?
Tomorrow was the day she would return home from her vacation. Remembering her father's mention of a painful knee injury last month, she decided to go to the city's pharmacy and buy some herbs to bring back.
So, while serving her in the afternoon, she found an opportunity to ask her mistress, "Madam, if my knees hurt from catching a cold, can I boil some moxa leaves and Sichuan peppercorns in water and apply it as a hot compress to my knees?"
The lady replied gently, "Yes."
She continued to ask, "Can you add some safflower? I remember Madam said that safflower can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, so maybe it can relieve pain?"
Upon hearing this, the lady didn't respond immediately. Instead, she looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, which were always smiling. She said, "Yinsuo, I think you have quite a talent. Would you like to study medicine with me?"
At that moment, she can still clearly remember the feeling of her heart suddenly beating violently like a drum.
She raised her arms, spread out her palms under the bright moonlight, and looked carefully at her slightly rough hands.
Study medicine? Study medicine under someone like my wife? An indescribable excitement and longing surged through her chest, but then came a hint of timidity and doubt... Could she really do it? Could she?
Thinking like this, she didn't know how long it had passed before she fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the sound of sweeping in the courtyard came through the crack of the door. Yinsuo opened his eyes and yawned slightly.
Thinking that she would be able to go home today, she immediately perked up. Without further delay, she quickly got up, dressed, and washed up. She picked up the small bag that she had packed yesterday and left the house.
Her home is in Qingyao Village on the outskirts of Beijing. She left home early in the morning and bought some things in the city on the way. She estimated that she would arrive there before noon.
The first place to go is the pharmacy to buy some mugwort and safflower. You don’t need to buy peppercorns, as they are already available for cooking at home.
The second place she went to was a delicatessen and bought a bag of braised pork for eighty-five cents.
When he was about to leave the city, he passed by a candy shop and was tempted by the sweet smell, so he bought another thirty cents worth of candy.
Carrying three heavy bags, I continued walking for another quarter of an hour and finally saw the outline of the village in the distance.
Early spring is the busy farming season, when winter wheat is turning green and in urgent need of watering and fertilizing. Even though it's almost lunchtime, many villagers are still busy working in the fields.
As Yinsuo approached, someone quickly recognized her.
"Oh, isn't this the second daughter of Old Liu's family?"
"Erniu is back! Old Liu, stop digging the ground! Your daughter is back!"
Several familiar aunts put down their work and gathered around Yinsuo.
From the pearl flowers on her temples, to the light yellow embroidered dress on her body, to the oil-paper bag in her hand, he looked her up and down carefully, his eyes full of uncontrollable envy.
The Liu family was truly prosperous! Back then, several girls from the village were sent to pawnshops in the city, but only his daughter was chosen and sent to the official's house to be a maid.
And Erniu is really hardworking. She followed the young lady of the master's family and was promoted to the young lady's dowry maid. Now she is working in the general's mansion. Now she is living a fairy-like life. Look at the clothes she is wearing, the colors are so bright and they are made of fine cotton!
She looks even more beautiful than the young lady from Mr. Wang’s family in the next village!
"Erniu, you're back!" Old man Liu came trotting over from the other side of the field, carrying a hoe, panting. He pushed through the crowd and came in. His rough, dark face was full of smiles, and two wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"Dad." Yinsuo called out with a smile, then looked around: "Where's my brother?"
"Go back and help your mother! Knowing you'll be back today, your mother has been busy preparing delicious food early in the morning!"
Old Man Liu's eyes fell on her hands, which were scarred by the hemp rope, and his brows immediately frowned. "You girl! Why are you spending money on these things again? Didn't I tell you that we don't need anything at home? You are earning more now, but you still have to be frugal and think more about the future."
Before Yinsuo could say anything, the villagers nearby joked, "Hey, Old Liu, just be happy! This is your daughter's filial piety! Other families can't even hope for that! You say you don't want it now, but if Erniu really doesn't buy it, you'll feel really empty!"
"Go, go!" Old Man Liu blushed slightly, but the smile in his eyes deepened. He snatched the things from Yinsuo's hand and led her home. "Are you tired from the journey back? Dad will get it, you take a rest. What good things did you buy?"
Yinsuo said goodbye to the aunts around him and then followed his father home.
"It's braised pork and crispy candies. I tried this braised pork at home a few days ago and it was so delicious that I thought I'd buy some for my parents and brother to try."
She paused and pointed to another small bag. "There's another one with herbal remedies. Dad, didn't you complain about knee pain last time? I asked my wife for advice. She said that boiling water with mugwort, safflower, and Sichuan peppercorns for a hot compress can invigorate blood circulation, dispel cold, and relieve pain."
When Old Man Liu heard this, he was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He walked with great vigor and held the package in his hand high, for fear that others would not see it.
Walking home along the familiar dirt road in the village, acquaintances in the fields on both sides of the road would greet me loudly: "Hey! It's Erniu who's back! Old Liu, what good things are you carrying?"
Old Man Liu deliberately raised his voice and complained, "Hey! It's the braised pork and crispy candies that Erniu bought from the city! There's also a packet of medicine. She said my cold legs aren't working anymore, so she bought it for me! This kid is too generous and can't save money. It's really frustrating!"
"Ouch—" Everyone burst into laughter when they heard this.
When the father and daughter returned to their courtyard, the meal was already on the table. Song Mei and Liu Dadong were setting the table and hurried over to greet them when they saw them return.
Liu Dadong took the hoe from his father and complained, "Dad, you have such a loud voice... I can hear you showing off from far away."
Song Mei stepped forward, took her daughter's hand, and looked her up and down carefully, her face full of smiles: "You haven't lost weight at all! It seems that you have gained some weight, and your complexion is better!"
Yinsuo pursed his lips and smiled. The Madam had been suffering from morning sickness recently, and couldn't eat any delicacies. Many of these exquisite foods ended up being eaten by the people around them. How could she not gain weight?
The family came into the house in a lively atmosphere. The long table in the main hall was already set with hot meals: a pot of rice and four delicious dishes: fried eggs with Chinese toon, fried spring bamboo shoots with oil residue, stewed tofu, and roasted loach.
Old Man Liu went into the kitchen with the bag of braised pork, cut it into thin slices with a knife, and placed it neatly on the table, which made Song Mei complain: "Oh my! There are so many dishes here! Why did you cut up the meat? How can we live like this? It's almost Chinese New Year!"
Yinsuo laughed and said, "Mom, we bought it to eat. It doesn't matter whether we eat it today or tomorrow. Besides, cooked meat loses its freshness if it's left out for too long."
Song Mei then stopped talking and asked everyone to start eating.
Liu Dadong picked up a piece of spring bamboo shoots for his sister with his chopsticks and said, "I went to catch loaches this morning and happened to see these two bamboo shoots when I passed by the woods. It took less than two hours from the time they were cut to the time they were served. They are so fresh! You can't even buy them in the city!"
The food at the Pei residence was a hundred times more refined than in the countryside, but Yinsuo still felt his own food was the most delicious! The spring bamboo shoots were sweet and fresh, the loach meat was firm, and the crispy and tender toon shoots fried with eggs were simply delicious.
She picked up the bowl, mixed the dishes in the bowl, and took a big mouthful of rice.
Old Man Liu picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully. The more he tasted it, the more he felt that the city chef's skills were extraordinary. The stew was extremely flavorful! He smacked his lips and said to his wife, "Mom, this meat tastes really good! Set aside a few pieces and bring a bowl to the Sun family next door to try later."
Song Mei rolled her eyes and immediately agreed: "I see!"
The old Sun family had a daughter named Xueniang, two years older than Yinsuo, and just the right age for marriage. The Sun family knew Xueniang well, and since she had grown up under their care and was diligent and hardworking, they wanted to match her with their son.
Upon hearing what his parents said, Liu Dadong's face immediately darkened. He ate two mouthfuls of rice and muttered in a muffled voice, "What's the point of sending a gift? I don't have any feelings for Xue Niang, so don't worry about it."
Song Mei's brows knitted together, her face filled with displeasure. "There are only a few girls of marriageable age in the village. You don't like the ones from the Zhang family, and you're not interested in the ones from the Sun family. So, what kind of girl are you looking for? A fairy?"
Liu Dadong quickly glanced up at his fair and delicate sister across from him, and muttered softly, "She can't be worse than my sister, right? I like fairer ones..."
This time, before Song Mei could even speak, Old Man Liu was already amused. "My son, what are you dreaming about? You still want a fair complexion! A fair complexion is cultivated with silver, without the need for wind and sun, and with the best rice and flour! Your sister is so lucky to have married into a good family! What country girl doesn't work in the fields? How can a fair complexion be so easy?"
After a few days of comfortable life, I forgot my last name!
Song Mei rolled her eyes at her son, not wanting to bother with him anymore. She turned her gaze back to her daughter and patted her head. "Does Erniu have any favorites in the General's Mansion?"
The words came out so fast that Yinsuo was caught off guard. Two red clouds instantly appeared on his cheeks and he lowered his head shyly: "Mom, I'm only fourteen at the end of the year, it's still early."
Song Mei said earnestly, "There are so many girls who are engaged at the age of fourteen or fifteen. If you meet someone who is suitable and knows you well, you can settle down first and stay at home for a few more years. It will be just right to get married then."
Girls nowadays are very different from those in the past. They are fair and pretty. When they put on a light yellow cotton dress embroidered with apricot flowers, they look like young ladies from any family.
Many families with sons in the village had been making inquiries lately, both openly and covertly. After much deliberation, she decided that the son of the village chief, Zheng, from the neighboring village, was a good choice: a handsome man with a good education, and now a respectable accountant in the city.
"I happened to meet the son of Village Chief Zheng from the neighboring village a few days ago. He's quite handsome and a steady person. Since you haven't found anyone you like in the mansion, why not... find an opportunity to meet her later? If you feel there's a connection, then we can arrange the marriage. When the term of your contract expires, you can marry her off in style."
Yinsuo frowned as he listened to his mother finish speaking. He slowly put down his chopsticks and thought carefully for a moment. Then he raised his head and said seriously, "Dad, Mom, I came back this time because I have something I want to discuss with you."
"What's the matter?" The whole family looked up at her.
"I want to study medicine with you, Madam." Yinsuo took a deep breath.
Liu Dadong: "Ah? Studying medicine?"
Old Man Liu: "My daughter, you can't even read a few words, how can you study medicine?"
Song Mei: "Well, there are people willing to teach, and it doesn't cost money, so just learn. What's there to discuss?"
Yinsuo shook his head. "Mother, studying medicine with Madam is no simple matter. It's not something you can just walk away from once the contract is signed. To truly master it, you'll need to stay by Madam's side for many years and study diligently. So...so, I'm afraid I'll have to put my marriage on hold for now."
Song Mei's brows immediately furrowed. "If you want to learn some skills, mother won't stop you. You'll be staying in the mansion anyway. But a woman's good time only lasts a few years. If you miss the chance to meet a good man, all the good men will be picked up..."
"Tsk." Liu Dadong sneered at the words and said disapprovingly, "How can being an accountant in the city be considered a good job? Our second daughter is now working for the general's wife! She has a bright future ahead of her! Why are you in such a hurry to get her settled in the village?"
He extended his big hand, patted Yinsuo on the shoulder, and said loudly, "Erniu! I support you! Learn from Madam! Become a respected female doctor in the future! As capable as Madam!"
Old Man Liu picked up a piece of braised pork, chewed it a few times, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Well, Dadong is right. The Zheng family kid is good, but if you think about it carefully, it does seem a bit unfair to our second daughter. My daughter, Dad thinks it's okay! It's rare for you to have such good fortune and destiny. If you want to learn, go ahead and learn."
Song Mei opened her mouth, then looked at her daughter, whose eyes sparkled. She swallowed her words and handed her a piece of scrambled eggs with Chinese toon sauce. Her tone softened, a hint of worry lingering in her voice. "My daughter, studying medicine isn't easy. Can you learn it? Last time, I accompanied your second aunt to the city to get some medicine. Did I have to memorize all the names of the medicines on the wall?"
Yinsuo raised his little face and said, "I will try my best! Mother, I feel I should be able to learn it. Every time Madam asks me to make medicine, I can remember the name after just one look."
"Oh! Really? You are worthy of being the daughter of the Liu family!" Old man Liu smiled happily and laughed.
-Silver Rope Extra Chapter Ends-
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