Chapter 47 Old Cheng
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Aman drank too much and slept until noon.
When she woke up, Fu Yunxiu and Mantou had already gone to the ancestral hall sometime earlier.
The quiet courtyard was deserted. After washing up, Aman used the leftover vegetables from last night's hot pot to make a simple soup, which served as lunch.
After dinner, Aman took the things he had prepared earlier and went to Uncle Zhu's house to wish him a Happy New Year.
Uncle Zhu and his family are kind and helpful, and they have a good relationship with their neighbors.
When Aman arrived, there were already other people in the house, all familiar neighbors, sitting in the main room chatting.
Chatting with a group of aunties, aside from trivial matters like the neighbor's cat being bitten to death by the neighbor's dog, the conversation inevitably revolves around men and children.
Although Aman couldn't get a word in edgewise, he really enjoyed the atmosphere.
This gave her the feeling of her grandmother taking her to visit neighbors in the village when she was still alive.
Aman stayed at Uncle Zhu's house for a long time. When he returned home, Mantou and the others had already been back for quite some time.
"Young master, when did you return?" Aman was pleasantly surprised. She thought that the young master and the others would not return until at least the afternoon.
"He just got back not long ago," Mantou said, pouring Fu Yunxiu a cup of hot tea.
The weather isn't very good today; the wind is biting and there's a bit of frost on the ground, which is a clear sign that it's going to snow.
Seeing that Fu Yunxiu's face was very pale, Aman hurriedly added charcoal to the ground heating element and quickly ignited it with a fan.
After drinking the hot tea, Fu Yunxiu felt warmer and more comfortable. He then asked Aman, "You weren't here when I came in. Where did you go?"
“I went to Uncle Zhu’s house, and Aunt Liu and the others were there too, so I chatted with them for a while.”
It's clear that Aman really enjoys chatting with them; he gets quite animated when talking about these things.
This reminded Fu Yunxiu of the night before when Aman got drunk and cried, saying he missed his grandmother and the people in the village.
I enjoy chatting with those people because I admire the people from my hometown who reflect their character.
Fu Yunxiu looked at her for a while, then suddenly said, "Aman, when the weather gets warmer, go back to Qiongzhou."
"Really?" Aman was already homesick, and upon hearing this, she immediately became excited and subconsciously asked, "Will you come with me, young master?"
Fu Yunxiu wanted to refuse, as his body couldn't withstand the arduous journey.
But when she met Aman's bright eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. "It's fine too."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Aman became overjoyed, shaking the steamed bun around. "Steamed bun, did you hear that? The young master wants to come back to my hometown with me."
Mantou was certain that his young master's original intention was not like that, and looked at Fu Yunxiu with a questioning expression, but the other looked away after meeting his gaze.
So, what else is there to understand about steamed buns?
My lord, please spoil him.
*
Because he caught a cold from the ancestral worship ceremony the day before, Fu Yunxiu fell ill on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Fortunately, it's not too serious; a few days of bed rest should be enough to recover.
During this time, Fu Changze and Fu Yunting also came to offer their New Year's greetings.
Aman maintained her usual lukewarm attitude towards the second young master of the Marquis's mansion. When the other party saw that Fu Yunxiu was sick, he even scolded Mantou and Aman for not taking good care of him.
Ah Man was also blaming herself for drinking too much on New Year's Eve, which led to Fu Yunxiu not wearing enough clothes when he went out. So she accepted Fu Changze's blame as well.
Before leaving, Fu Changze left behind twenty taels of silver, which Aman did not refuse.
The family's money had been mostly spent by the New Year, so Aman was really frightened when Fu Yunxiu fell ill.
There are still a few months before Chun leaves to make rouge and earn money on her own. Having money in hand makes Aman feel more at ease.
As for Fu Yunting, he was still the same talkative old man he always was. After putting down the gift, he sat in front of Fu Yunxiu's bed and kept rambling on about his concern. In the end, it was only after Aman gently asked him to leave that this great man was finally asked to go.
After resting for two more days, it was the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Fu Yunxiu's health has improved considerably, and he is much more energetic. He even drank a small bowl of fresh meat porridge and ate half a sesame seed cake early in the morning.
Ah Man finally felt relieved after a long time of worry and immediately decided to have steamed buns for lunch.
In Qiongzhou, there is a custom of eating steamed buns with a pungent smell on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. This is believed to ensure that one will not get angry throughout the year and that everything will go smoothly.
With fewer people in the family, it was much easier for Aman to prepare. She quickly kneaded the dough, chopped the filling, seasoned it, and then wrapped the buns and put them in the steamer—all in less than an hour.
Seeing that the steamer was already steaming, Aman added two large pieces of wood to the stove, pushed the firewood away to make sure there were no other ignition sources, and then picked up the fire tongs and rummaged through the ashes under the stove.
While boiling water, she threw two sweet potatoes into the ashes, intending to bake them and make dessert for the young master. They should be ready now.
Aman dug out two sweet potatoes, and sure enough, the sweet potatoes, which had been simmering in the ashes for a long time, were already soft, sweet and fragrant. Even before peeling them, Aman could smell the enticing aroma of the sweet potatoes.
After wiping the dust off the sweet potatoes, Aman found a plate, put the sweet potatoes in it, and happily went to the east room to present them to Fu Yunxiu.
In the east wing, Fu Yunxiu was copying calligraphy at his desk.
The cold had left him with an unnaturally pale complexion, and he coughed occasionally, making him appear frail and delicate. Yet, the characters he wrote were all robust, bold, and powerful.
It is said that one's handwriting reflects one's character, and Aman believes that this is the true nature of the young master.
Swallowing her disappointment, Aman stepped forward with a plate and said, "Take a break, everyone. I roasted some sweet potatoes to tide you over. The steamed buns will be ready in a while."
Upon hearing that it was roasted sweet potato, Mantou's eyes lit up immediately. He quickly put down the ink stick in his hand, took two steps forward to take the plate from Aman's hand, and took a deep breath, "It smells so good!"
Fu Yunxiu was tired after writing for a long time, so he put down his pen and stretched his slightly sore wrist.
Aman pushed him to the table. Mantou had already scooped up the biggest sweet potato from the plate, but before he could do anything, he was scalded by the sweet potato and cried out. He quickly threw the sweet potato back into the plate.
"Serves you right, you were so impatient." Aman rolled her eyes at him.
Just as you can't rush things, you can't rush things either.
Aman poured tea for Fu Yunxiu before picking up the small knife she usually used to peel fruit from the side table.
Wiping the sweet potatoes clean with a handkerchief, Aman was about to cut them when she heard a clear knock on the door.
Aman paused for a moment, then handed the knife to Mantou, saying, "You cut it, I'll go open the door."
Pushing aside the heavy curtains, a cold wind whistled outside, making Aman shiver involuntarily. The knocking continued, and Aman responded with "Coming!" before jogging forward.
Upon opening the door, a stranger appeared.
He was about sixty or seventy years old, with a long beard, wearing a light gray cotton robe, and his gray hair was casually tied up, slightly disheveled by the wind. The old man had a kind face, stroking his beard, his slightly cloudy eyes narrowed, giving him an unfathomable and otherworldly appearance.
"Who are you?" Aman thought for a moment, then realized that she had never seen this person before.
The old man seemed somewhat surprised. He took two steps back, looked at the plaque on the door, and then realized that he had not gone to the wrong place.
"I'm here to see Fu Yunxiu. Is he here?"
"Yes, yes." Although the old man did not reveal his identity, Aman still opened the door and welcomed him in.
He's quite old; he's probably not a bad person. But if he's some kind of patriarch from the Marquis's mansion, Aman can't afford to offend him.
Aman welcomed the old man into the house, but the old man looked at Aman thoughtfully. After a long while, he seemed to suddenly remember something, pointed at Aman and said excitedly, "I know, you are that brat's little wife."
The old man's excited expression left Aman momentarily stunned, especially the phrase "little wife," which made Aman's face flush.
But she did not deny it; instead, she became even more curious about the old man's identity.
After all, everyone in the Marquis's mansion knew that she was just a concubine who couldn't be brought into the public eye.
"Grandpa, who are you?" Perhaps because she was pleased with what the old man said, Aman addressed him much more affectionately.
"Hey, you're such a polite little girl," the old man was pleased to be called "Grandpa" by Aman, and his gaze towards Aman became more affectionate. "That brat never mentioned me to you, but I'm his savior."
"Ah!" Aman exclaimed in realization, "You must be Mr. Cheng!"
"Don't call me 'old man,' it's too formal. Just call me 'Grandpa.'"
Master Cheng never married, but because of his superb medical skills, countless people wanted to become his apprentices or godparents. However, he disliked these people who were too ambitious and utilitarian. So, in his old age, he only had Guo An as his apprentice and Fu Yunxiu as his god-grandson, whom he himself tacitly acknowledged.
But now it seems that the granddaughter-in-law is much more pleasing to the eye than the grandson.
The two chatted as they entered the house, where Mantou, having already heard their voices, greeted them at the door.
Upon seeing Mr. Cheng enter, he quickly bowed respectfully, "Mr. Cheng."
"Hmm," Old Cheng nodded, and was slightly taken aback when he saw the steamed bun in its current state.
He used to think that steamed buns shouldn't be called steamed buns, because they were long and thin, and should be called fried dough sticks. But now, looking at his round face, he felt that the name was quite fitting.
When Old Cheng looked up into the room, it was no longer the cold and lifeless place it used to be. Instead, it was warm and cozy, with a few paper-cut window decorations that were perfectly placed, bringing life to the whole room.
Old Master Cheng's gaze gradually fell on Fu Yunxiu, who was drinking tea, and the light in his eyes dimmed considerably.
But that brat is still the same old rascal.
Old Cheng said angrily, "You didn't even come out to greet me when you saw this old man arrive. You unfilial son!"
"It's freezing cold outside, how can you bear to let a cripple like me go out to greet you?" Fu Yunxiu retorted sarcastically.
"Hmph," Old Cheng was so angry he was speechless. He snorted coldly, saw some roasted sweet potatoes on the table, picked them up and was about to eat them.
"Hey..." Fu Yunzheng was about to speak up to stop him, but Old Cheng angrily interrupted him, "What, I can't even eat your sweet potato?"
"..." Fu Yunxiu had nothing to say and could only shrug. Sure enough, the next moment, Old Cheng cried out from the heat.
But since the sweet potato was already in his mouth, Old Cheng couldn't bear to spit it out, so he stir-fried it again in his mouth. When he swallowed it, tears welled up in his eyes from the heat.
He grumbled angrily, "You brat, why didn't you warn me sooner?"
"Didn't you tell me not to speak?" Despite saying that, Fu Yunxiu still made a cup of tea and handed it to Old Master Cheng.
The warm tea soothed the burning sensation that ran from my throat down to my stomach.
I have to admit, though, that the sweet potato was roasted perfectly.
Soft, sweet, and fragrant, leaving a lingering aroma in your mouth.
Old Cheng walked here through the cold wind, and he was indeed terribly cold.
Old Cheng glared at Fu Yunxiu with annoyance, then lowered his head and focused on eating his sweet potato in small bites.
Fu Yunxiu didn't say anything, but occasionally refilled his empty teacup. Seeing that he was still not satisfied after eating half of it, he pushed the other half of his sweet potato to him.
After finishing the whole sweet potato, his stomach felt warm, and Old Cheng's breathing improved considerably. He took the tea that Fu Yunxiu handed him and drank it all in one gulp before speaking, "It's been a long time, and there seems to be more life around here."
He looked Fu Yunxiu up and down. "You've gotten much stronger and more energetic. It seems your wife has taken very good care of you."
Old Cheng's words made Fu Yunxiu's face flush, and he subconsciously glanced at Aman out of the corner of his eye. Seeing Aman's shy appearance with her lips pursed and her eyes lowered, Fu Yunxiu felt his ears burning even more. "Don't talk nonsense."
"What nonsense! I'm telling the truth," Old Cheng snorted.
Although he had been traveling all year, Guo Anxin mentioned in his letter that Madam Fu had found another concubine for the brat.
He knew, of course, what Madam Fu was planning, and thought it wouldn't last long. But soon Guo An wrote again, saying that the brat had kept the girl.
He had initially thought there was some hidden story behind this, but now it seemed that the two of them had clearly fallen in love.
Having served in the palace for many years, he had long been accustomed to the unpredictability of people's hearts and the estrangement between husband and wife.
So-called titles and ranks are just for show, what matters most is that two hearts are together.
Therefore, in his eyes, Aman was Fu Yunxiu's little wife.
This idea coincided with Aman's.
Knowing that both of them were easily embarrassed, Old Cheng stopped joking. He instructed Mantou to fetch a basin of hot water, and then skillfully found a medicine box in the cabinet by the window and took out all its contents.
Having prepared everything, Old Cheng asked Aman to leave.
We still need to examine Fu Yunxiu's body later, and it's not appropriate for Aman, a woman, to be here alone.
Although Aman was worried about Fu Yunxiu's health, she could only follow the arrangements. Besides, she was steaming buns in the kitchen and couldn't leave him for too long.
After Aman left, Mantou closed the door.
Old Cheng picked up the pulse diagnosis tool and took Fu Yunxiu's pulse.
The old man, who had been beaming with joy just moments before, now wore a serious expression and was so focused that Mantou didn't dare to even breathe. After a long while, he finally nodded and stroked his beard.
Seeing this, Mantou hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Old sir, is there poison in my young master's body?"
“The spread of the poison in his body is not too serious,” Old Cheng put away the pulse pillow, “and it seems that he has been in good spirits and good mood for the past six months, with a strong and powerful pulse.”
"Then?" Mantou wanted to ask, if that's the case, does that mean the young master can live out his days in peace?
Old Cheng clearly understood what he meant and shook his head helplessly.
The poison in his body was also deadly. Even if he could continue like this, it would only prolong his recovery for a few years. It was far from easy for him to fully recover.
"Help your young master to bed," Old Master Cheng instructed.
Mantou followed suit, helping Fu Yunxiu to the bed, removing his outer clothes, and rolling up the legs of his underpants all the way to his thighs.
Because he hadn't walked for years, Fu Yunxiu's legs had atrophied badly, and his skin was deathly pale, which didn't match his strong upper body.
Even if they haven't lost the ability to stand, they still need someone to help them stand up.
Mantou often bathed Fu Yunxiu, so he was familiar with his legs. However, Old Cheng had not seen him for a long time, and when he saw them for the first time, he felt a pang of sadness.
I still remember the first time I met him when he first settled in Houyong Prefecture. At that time, Fu Yunxiu, who was only ten years old, rode his horse through the streets with a group of young masters, enjoying the spring outing outside the city. How carefree and unrestrained he was!
Who would have thought that less than six months later, he would be poisoned and his life would be in danger?
The Marquis begged him, and he knew it was a power struggle within the household. He didn't want to get involved, but he couldn't bear to see such a good child die, so he finally took action.
Fu Yunxiu was born with an illness and was weaker than ordinary people, so even ordinary poison became deadly poison in him.
He exerted tremendous effort and finally managed to seal the acupuncture point with silver needles, saving his life.
From then on, he was confined to a wheelchair, becoming a disabled person who could neither experience great joy nor great sorrow.
Over the years, he had been searching for a way to cure him. When he heard that the man was exceptionally talented and famous throughout Yongzhou, he was genuinely happy for him.
As long as he doesn't despise himself, he will eventually find a way to save himself.
But later, for reasons unknown, Fu Yunxiu became increasingly silent and taciturn until the great fire four years ago, which killed the Marquis and plunged him into despair.
The past is always so sad and heavy.
Old Cheng sighed, took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from his pocket, opened the cork, and a not-so-pleasant smell came out.
The liquid inside was poured onto a handkerchief, which was then taken by Mantou and placed on Fu Yunxiu's knees.
Old Cheng picked up the tinderbox on the table, lit the wax, and then took the candle, circling around Fu Yunxiu's knees.
The faint firelight did have an effect. Fu Yunxiu's knees, which had been cold, gradually warmed up. Slowly, the warmth turned into an itch, which became increasingly itchy, accompanied by a bone-chilling pain.
"Hmm..." Fu Yunxiu finally couldn't hold back any longer and groaned. The veins on his forehead bulged, he was drenched in sweat, and his whole body convulsed involuntarily.
"Mantou, hold him down, don't let him move around."
"Yes." Mantou sees this scene every year. But even though he knows it by heart, Mantou still can't bear to look at it.
She could only turn her head away, grab Fu Yunxiu's hands, and press half of her body down on him to prevent him from moving.
"Mantou, let me go!" Fu Yunxiu was in unbearable pain and struggled to push Mantou away. He had only one thought in his mind: he should just die.
But in this situation, how could Mantou listen to him? "Young master, please bear with it a little longer, it will be done soon."
Mantou held down his upper body, while Old Cheng restrained his legs.
Despite his weak legs, Old Cheng still struggled to get out of bed to pee, his beard flying wildly in the wind, a testament to the pain he endured.
After a short while, Fu Yunxiu finally stopped struggling.
It wasn't that he wasn't in pain anymore, but rather that the pain was so intense that he fainted.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Old Cheng quickly asked Mantou to prepare wine.
After passing a row of silver needles through the wine fire, Old Master Cheng saw that the time was almost right and then lifted the handkerchief on Fu Yunxiu's lap.
"Hiss..." Upon seeing this, the steamed bun gasped.
Fu Yunxiu's once fair knees had turned even blacker than charcoal, with an unnatural blood-red tinge at the edges, making them a shocking sight.
Even though Old Cheng was prepared, he was still taken aback.
It seems that although the poison in Fu Yunxiu's body has not spread, its toxicity is becoming more and more intense. If this continues, it is uncertain whether he will be able to live to the expected age of twenty-five.
"Elder Cheng?" Elder Cheng's thoughtful expression made Mantou's heart sink. Could it be that the young master's poison has become more serious?
Before he could even ask a question, Old Master Cheng calmly replied, "Needle."
"Oh, oh." Mantou hurriedly handed him the needle.
Master Cheng's acupuncture techniques differ from those of ordinary doctors.
Ordinary doctors use acupuncture to activate the meridians and acupoints, but if this method were applied to Fu Yunxiu, he would surely die.
Therefore, Master Cheng's acupuncture was not for this purpose, but for detoxification.
Therefore, the needles used by Master Cheng were different from those used by ordinary doctors. His needles were longer and thinner than those used by ordinary doctors, and they were hollow in the middle, through which the poisonous blood was discharged.
These specially made needles are quite expensive to manufacture and cannot be reused. Fortunately, Mr. Cheng's family is well-off and doesn't lack the money.
Long needles pierced his bones and blood, and soon Fu Yunxiu's knees were covered in thorns like a hedgehog.
Old Cheng brought out a candle again and heated it around the needle. Gradually, liquid began to flow from the tip of the needle. It was dark red and emitted a strong smell of blood and an indescribable odor.
At this point, the basin of hot water that the steamed bun brought over took effect.
The steamed bun dampened a cloth with water and carefully wiped away the oozing poisonous blood.
This process was not easy. Even though Fu Yunxiu was dizzy, he could still groan occasionally, and he was drenched in sweat, which soaked through his inner clothes.
After about 15 minutes, the snow flowing from the silver needles finally turned into a normal red color. Old Cheng exhaled a breath of stale air and pulled out all the silver needles.
This process needs to be repeated every day for seven days to be completed.
At this moment, Fu Yunxiu had already woken up.
At this moment, he was like a deflated earthworm, powerless and helpless, at the mercy of the steamed bun.
Fu Yunxiu was extremely embarrassed, but all he could do was close his eyes.
Seeing his trembling eyelashes, Old Cheng knew he had woken up. While Mantou was wiping Fu Yunxiu's body, he talked about the gains he had made from his travels over the past year.
“I recently went to the north, to Dunzhou, where they need a method for detoxifying and healing wounds called fumigation. The principle of external treatment is the same as that of internal treatment; the only difference is the method.” If fumigation is combined with acupuncture for detoxification, it may have miraculous effects,” said Mr. Cheng.
"Will it definitely succeed?" Fu Yunxiu asked weakly.
"This..." Old Cheng couldn't quite put his finger on it, but although it was just a suggestion, he was certain that if it were implemented, he couldn't guarantee that Fu Yunxiu could stand up completely, but at least it would allow him to live a few more years.
"We still have to try."
His hesitation made Fu Yunxiu scoff, "Try it. I only have one year left to live. In this year, I want to live like a human being."
This means that they refused.
But Old Cheng was unwilling to give up. "You brat, how can you talk like that? I'm only doing this for your own good. Let's try again, just this once. If it really doesn't work, then forget it."
"Let it go," Fu Yunxiu said.
He didn't want to try anymore.
Over the past ten years, he has tried countless treatments and tried countless herbal decoctions, but in the end, they all disappeared without a trace.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment; he has been disappointed far too many times.
He no longer had the courage to try new treatments and relive the pain of disappointment.
He wanted to spend the remaining year or so peacefully with Mantou and Aman, and didn't want to cause any more trouble.
Old Master Cheng naturally knew how painful Fu Yunxiu had been all these years, but he really couldn't bear to watch him die, a white-haired man burying a black-haired one.
But he didn't want to push Fu Yunxiu too hard, as that would backfire.
He sighed heavily and conceded, "Fine, if that's how it is, I don't want to force you. But it's your own body, so think it over carefully. Even if it's not for your own sake, it's for that girl's."
Even heroes have always found it hard to resist the allure of love. This rascal has taken a liking to that girl; he might just change his mind because of it.
When Aman was mentioned, Fu Yunxiu fell silent, which was unusual for him.
Although he had made plans for Aman's future from the very beginning, the friendship he had developed over the years made him uneasy about entrusting Aman to a complete stranger.
A long silence fell over the room.
It was so quiet that you could faintly hear sobbing outside.
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