Chapter 26 (combined chapter)
After returning home, Miaozhen began reading. She was certain that her father would send a servant to deliver the Buddhist scriptures before the Ghost Festival, and then she would have the servant take the letter back with him.
Otherwise, if we ask Third Grandmother, it will inevitably pass through her hands once. Then she might think that we are colluding with First Grandmother, which would be bad. One cannot be too clear about one's stance, at least not in an appearance.
She spent her time in her room constantly reading various medical books, all of which were about the same thing: seeking a child.
This request for a child doesn't mean asking for a son; it's more about getting pregnant. Miaozhen has received such a great favor, and she naturally wants to repay it. However, she is anxious but doesn't show it. Otherwise, even if you help others in advance, they might not care about your situation.
The next day, she even helped Third Grandma finish calculating the accounts. Third Grandma knew that Miaozhen was tight-lipped and wouldn't tell anyone about their illness, so she didn't ask about it.
Miaozhen first went to her great-grandmother's place to take her pulse. "If the pulse at the Cun position of the Heart Meridian is smooth and slippery, the pulse at the Guan position of the Spleen Meridian is relaxed and gentle, and the pulse at the Chi position of the Kidney Meridian is strong, then this is the pulse of pregnancy. But your pulse is wiry in all three positions, which is a symptom of liver qi stagnation."
"Is it something weighing on your mind? But I'm usually fine," said Madam Ji.
"This is reflected in the pulse. When there is stagnation and obstruction, the liver qi becomes stagnant. Stagnant liver qi can also cause blockage in the waist and navel, preventing qi and blood from flowing from the Ren meridian to the Dai meridian. How can one conceive under such circumstances? Only when the liver, spleen, heart, and kidneys are all in a relaxed state can the qi of the uterus open easily, making conception easier. Otherwise, even if conception occurs, miscarriage is likely." Miaozhen explained to her in detail.
As she spoke, she drew the organs for her to see, making it easier for Madam Ji to understand. Madam Ji was already convinced after hearing this and asked Miaozhen to prescribe a medicine. Miaozhen then prescribed Kaiyu Zhongyu Decoction.
"Drink it for at least a month first."
The prescription was given to the people around Ji, who were told to brew the medicine themselves in their rooms using a stove.
Ji asked naively, "If this prescription works for me, can I give it to others?"
Miaozhen quickly waved her hand: "No, no, every medicine is different for each person, and there is absolutely no one-size-fits-all approach."
With that, Madam Ji felt at ease and began to treat the patients. Miao Zhen, on the other hand, only had one or two patients a day, which was quite affordable, allowing her to have more time to study medical techniques.
June arrived in the blink of an eye. During this month, Ji Shi indeed felt much lighter and less anxious. After all, she and Cheng Junze were a young couple and often shared a room.
Meanwhile, regarding Miaozhen's matter, she first sent a letter to the Suzhou Prefecture, and then, with her husband's invitation, she simply contacted the people at the Southern Prison.
Because she still needed to make arrangements with the Ministry of Revenue, she didn't tell Miaozhen beforehand. Sure enough, someone from Miaozhen's side came. This time, they sent a message through a ship company. Miaozhen also gave them a coin of silver and asked them to help take her letter back as well.
Xu Erpeng never expected his daughter to give him such a big surprise. The reason he was unwilling to curry favor with the Cheng family was because he was afraid that Uncle Qiao would take advantage of his daughter.
Even if Uncle Qiao recovers, he won't thank his daughter. Instead, he'll feel it's only right. If it causes his daughter any misfortune, he'll have a reason to say that his daughter is ruined.
However, he never expected that his daughter would use her medical skills to not only obtain a stipend for him, but also donate to prison.
The idea of donating to the Imperial Academy was tempting to him, but he felt that spending 280 taels was too much of a waste. He figured it would be better to spend a few years preparing for the annual examinations and become a government-subsidized student. In reality, he was quite learned, and even the instructors admired his scholarship. However, he was never favored by the Grand Master in the annual examinations. This time, however, he was fortunate enough to be selected as a government-subsidized student by the Grand Master, and he thought his luck had finally turned around.
I never expected it to be for this reason.
Of course, his daughter also said that he should go to the Southern Prison, at least to meet the appearance requirements. She had spent almost a year, not counting clothes and jewelry, and had eighty taels of silver. She would give twenty taels to bribe Madam Cheng.
“This child,” Xu Erpeng shared with Mei.
Madam Mei said, "Zhenzhen has been gone for a long time now, and I really miss her."
"You miss her, and I miss her too." Xu Erpeng was worried about his daughter being away from home, but finding her a husband was extremely difficult. The men he liked might not be interested in them, and the women who were persistent in their pursuit might not be interested in him.
Mei had put away the embroidered robe that Miaozhen had sent back last time, but she was very happy with it. As for the brocade, the couple couldn't bear to make clothes with it last year, and it wasn't until this spring that they opened the storeroom and took it out to make clothes.
He secretly saved a thousand taels of silver for his daughter's dowry. In addition, he carefully selected a son-in-law, hoping to find a good home for his daughter as soon as possible. He thought that perhaps after he became a student of the Imperial Academy, his status would be higher, and his daughter's marriage would be even more auspicious.
Madam Mei said, "It seems you still have to go to Nanjing. That's good, I'm always worried about my daughter."
"That's natural. It's also a coincidence that my book was just at the end when it was published. I'll write the next one when I get back, so I'll have some free time to take care of things." Xu Erpeng immediately asked Mei to exchange fifty taels of silver, intending to go to a tinware shop to make some wine pots, teapots, and containers to take to Nanjing to give to Grandma Ji.
This was instructed by her daughter in her letter; she said that when she told Grandma Cheng that her family was struggling financially, Grandma Cheng directly offered to help. But her family couldn't be completely without gratitude.
Xu Erpeng would never let his daughter pay for it; he naturally took the money himself.
Madam Mei said, "That scholar Lu will be taking the provincial examination in August. I think he is a handsome man, but his family is a bit poor."
"Call me a snob or a petty person, I don't care about poor people. Even if he passed the imperial examination, I wouldn't care. Besides, I've already inquired about his family, and they're not well-off." Xu Erpeng was shocked to hear this.
However, Madam Mei was unaware of these things, so she asked, "Since you went to inquire, why didn't you tell me?"
Xu Erpeng patted his chest and said, "I was absolutely horrified when I heard that. Besides, since I'm not going to consider it, I won't talk to you about it anymore."
Mei begged him to tell her, and he finally said, "The Lu family was originally very wealthy, but do you know how they became rich? Let me tell you from the beginning. Originally, it was a marriage between a man and a woman of equal social standing, but the man died of illness. The woman had no sons, but she owned estates and fields. After becoming a widow, she wanted to find a husband. It just so happened that Lu Shi'an's father, although he had studied for a few years, was a frivolous man who made a living by selling his charms. Lu's father treated this widow very well and did not care at all that she was nine years older than him. So they got married. At first, things were fine, but later his true colors were revealed."
"Could it be that they seized that widow's property?" asked Madam Mei.
Xu Erpeng said, "It's not just that. What's so bad about forcibly seizing family property? It would have been better if this father of Lu had treated the widow well. Unfortunately, he often instigated others to bully her. Beating and scolding her was the least of his worries. He would deliberately make fun of her, watch her make a fool of herself, hang her from a tree at the drop of a hat, or else not give her food, and let people humiliate her for being ugly and old. Later, in order to marry a new wife, the father of Lu killed the widow. He lived a good life for six or seven years. But karma is cyclical. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. This father of Lu took the widow's money and opened an inn. He got into a dispute with a guest and was burned to death in the inn. His new wife, who was Lu Shi'an's mother, was also angered to death when she saw the Lu family members dividing up the land."
"Lu Shi'an was taken back by his aunt when he was a child, but his aunt's family didn't have much money. How could they support him? They could only run a brothel with their daughter to support their nephew and son-in-law. Speaking of which, even though she treated you like that, she was sincere. But when I asked him if he had arranged a room for his wife, he denied it outright and didn't even mention his cousin. How could I want someone like that? Even if he passes the imperial examination, if he can act like this today, our daughter will only become a stepping stone for him in the future."
Madam Mei never imagined the truth behind it would be so unbearable. She then recalled Lu Shi'an's handsome appearance, tall stature, talent, meticulousness, and warm-hearted nature...
"He's truly a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Xu Erpeng spread his hands: "But we can't offend someone like that. I think we should just wait until he passes the imperial examination and finds a good marriage during that time, and then decline the offer. It's not that I'm indecisive, but when I refused him, he just ignored me and kept coming to my place. Since he didn't mention marriage, I couldn't very well say that my daughter wouldn't be given to you."
Mei suddenly realized, "That makes sense."
"Besides, my daughter is talented and beautiful and has a decent dowry. Why can't we choose someone who is rich, talented, and of good character? Is it necessarily better to choose someone who is rich but talented?" Xu Erpeng has been reviewing case files from various places for many years and has a broad understanding of shady dealings. He believes that everything depends on the individual.
The rich are not necessarily polite, and the poor are not necessarily truly honest.
The couple talked for a long time when Mei's father, Scholar Mei, came to visit. He had come to celebrate his son-in-law's success in the imperial examinations. However, Xu Erpeng did not like drinking. He only took out the wine he had hidden away, ordered the kitchen staff to prepare a few dishes, and asked the waiter Li and the Tang brothers to accompany him while he went to his study to write.
Before Scholar Mei, Madam Mei dared not mention that her husband was about to become a student of the Imperial Academy, fearing that the matter would be leaked and, if things didn't go as planned, it would only reveal that her family was wealthy. She also didn't mention that Xu Erpeng was going to Nanjing. She only concerned herself with her father, and, tipsy, had Laiwang take him home. She then went to check on Miaozhen's room again, hoping that her daughter would return soon.
Meanwhile, back at the Cheng family, ever since the eldest master took a concubine, he visited Aunt Zhu less often. Aunt Zhu was heartbroken, so she resorted to her old trick of feigning illness. She invited Yu Zhoujin to help her, and since Yu Zhoujin was on good terms with Aunt Zhu, he naturally helped her fabricate a medical record.
The First Madam knew that Consort Zhu was faking illness, so she called Miaozhen over and instructed her, "Go and check on Consort Zhu."
"Reporting to Madam, Yu Sanjie is already being treated at Aunt Zhu's place. As the saying goes, one shouldn't bother two masters with one matter, so it's not appropriate for me to go." This is why Miaozhen dislikes this First Madam. They, as working people, already have it hard enough, and she's using them to engage in infighting among wives and concubines.
Madam Cheng said, "What do you mean by 'one thing shouldn't bother two masters'? That Yu fellow may seem quick at applying needles, but he can't even make a proper diagnosis. He's far inferior to you."
Zhao's mother chimed in, "Miss Xu, the First Madam wants you to go, so please go."
"Yes." Miaozhen could only deal with whatever came her way.
When Miaozhen arrived at Aunt Zhu's place, she explained her purpose. The person next to Aunt Zhu said, "Aunt Zhu has already gone to bed. Why don't you come later, Miss?"
Miaozhen didn't make things difficult or insist on seeing it, she just said, "I'll go and get back to you right away."
After returning home, she was naturally scolded by the eldest wife, who made her stand for a long time before letting her go. As soon as Miaozhen left, Cheng Yuan arrived. Hearing her mother's words, she hurriedly said, "That Miss Xu is a guest of our family. Even my sister-in-law treats her with respect. How can you complain about her?"
"She was only hired for a few taels of silver, she's not some high-ranking person. Besides, I already told that Physician Xu that Peilan we sent to the pharmacy was to teach you some medical skills so she could be part of your dowry. But she's kept all her medical prescriptions very well hidden." Madam Zeng was still a little angry, thinking that she had sent over several sets of clothes before.
Cheng Yuan was speechless. Her mother wasn't like this before. Now that she had used her own schemes to divert Zhu Yiniang's favor, she started to act arrogantly. It was clear that she had been suppressing her feelings for too long.
Besides, why would someone teach you their skills so easily?
She could only advise, "These doctors are very secretive about their prescriptions. They can't just teach them to anyone. Besides, teaching someone only half-baked would only harm them. Miss Xu won't be staying in our household for long. Nowadays, there are countless female doctors and healers. It's not easy to find a real female doctor. Let's get on good terms with her. If we really get sick in the future, it will be easier to ask her for help. She's the one who cured your chronic illness."
Madam Zeng was somewhat dismissive. Anyway, she was fully recovered and didn't need to ask anyone for anything, so she didn't really take her daughter's words to heart.
It was also said that when Miaozhen went to the Lu family for her last follow-up visit, Grandma Lu's complexion had improved considerably, which finally put Miaozhen at ease.
Upon returning, I learned that a new female doctor had arrived. This doctor was the daughter of the chief physician of the Prince's Palace in Qingzhou Prefecture. It was said that she worked there as a retainer, barely making ends meet. However, she was out of step with the times and offended the prince's favorite concubine, which led to her dismissal from her post.
Mother Gu led the group to greet each other. Miao Zhen and Yu Zhoujin both came out to curtsy. Miao Zhen knew that her surname was Ji and her given name was Zhen Jie, so she gave her two sachets as a gift.
This Sister Zhen also inherited some of her father's medical skills, which were quite good. However, this seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl had a cleft lip. It wasn't that her mouth looked like that, but she was a person who would say anything without any taboos.
She pretended to be shy for two days at first, but on the third day she was all over the place and talked to Miaozhen about everything. When she learned that the person who used to live in her room was from Anhui, she said, "Many of those Anhui merchants are reluctant to eat or dress well when they are away from home, but they are willing to take concubines. They leave their wives at home for twenty years without paying attention to them, and set up another house outside. Their wives outside are dressed in gold and silver, have servants and maids, and treat their daughters like treasures, while their wives at home are treated like weeds."
"Sister Ji's words make it sound as if she really saw it," Miaozhen said.
“That’s right. Our house is right behind that mansion. What don’t we know? The girls there even have female tutors to teach them.” Sister Ji Zhen said indignantly.
Miaozhen didn't mind hearing it, but after entering the seventh month, she first presented the Buddhist scriptures that her father had someone bring to the ladies. The scriptures had embroidery on them, and because she had been burning incense nearby, there was a sandalwood fragrance on them. They were all very happy to receive them, and the old lady even rewarded her with two sets of clothes.
After the Ghost Festival, Madam Ji was confirmed to be pregnant. Miaozhen said, "Grandma is weak. It's hot now, so don't get too hot. Take good care of yourself. If you feel unwell anywhere, just call me."
After several years, she became pregnant again. Knowing that it was Miaozhen's doing, Madam Ji said, "Your father's matter is just waiting for him to come. I will have someone take him to the Ministry of Revenue to verify his identity, and then everything will be fine."
"I can never repay Grandma's kindness," Miaozhen said.
After so many years of waiting, Ji finally had a child. Knowing it was all thanks to Miaozhen, she accepted the exchange and said nothing more. Miaozhen then wrote down all the taboos and precepts for her, including things like not being allowed to have sex and not being allowed to eat cold foods, filling an entire sheet of paper.
It's not easy to give birth safely, and Madam Ji still had to rely on Miaozhen, so she naturally did as she was told.
Xu Erpeng arrived in Nanjing after the Ghost Festival. When he came, he went to the West Corner Gate and said that it was Dr. Xu's father who had come. He immediately gave her fifty coins.
The doorman from the Cheng family put on a smile and said, "So you are Doctor Xu's father. We'll send someone to invite her right away."
Miaozhen was reading a medical book in her room when she heard that her father had arrived. Overjoyed, she quickly stood up from the chair by the lamp and rushed to see Xu Erpeng. Xu Erpeng's face hadn't changed much, but there was a wrinkle on the back of his neck, which must have been caused by his constant writing. He decided that he would help her father take care of his health when he got home.
When the father and daughter met, Xu Erpeng, seeing that there were many people around, said, "Your mother asked me to bring you some local produce. It's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, just some festive gifts."
"Father, where do you live?" Miaozhen asked.
Xu Erpeng only said that he was staying at the nearby Dongsheng Inn and would come to pick her up the next day to visit relatives, but secretly slipped a letter into his daughter's hand.
Miaozhen first had two servants help carry in a box and a bundle. The bundle contained several boxes of pastries and fruits, which were seasonal foods. The other box contained pewterware, which was a gift for the eldest mistress.
In the dead of night, Miaozhen had two maids carry a tinware set to the eldest mistress's place, telling her that her father had come.
"Understood," said Madam Ji with just a few words.
Miaozhen was unsure of what to do, but remembering that her mother had said she had taken care of it last time, she shouldn't rush things. The next day, she went out to meet Xu Erpeng first. The father and daughter had a lot to talk about.
"She spoke so enthusiastically that day, as if everything was settled. Yesterday, I specially delivered some things to her, but she was surprisingly cold. But don't worry, she has asked me to take care of her the whole time and still relies on me. Your matter will definitely be handled properly."
Xu Erpeng said, "No one should ask everyone to be the most important. I can afford to pay that little bit of money. I can just go home."
Miao Zhen smiled and said, "This is also a favor she wanted to do for me, but the people in the house are not easy to get along with. In my opinion, I am considering withdrawing after this matter is over."
One should be mindful of danger, retreat, and change. After the First Madam and Concubine Zhu give birth to Ji's child, they will likely fight for power with Third Madam Ruan. As the saying goes, when the King of Hell fights, the little devils suffer. I have been here for a year and have cured many old ailments. Having received such benefits, I should know when to stop.
"Don't worry about that, I know what I'm doing. They definitely won't accept you coming back for no reason, and I'll definitely find you a suitable husband," Xu Erpeng said with a smile.
Even Miaozhen felt shy when she heard this, but she slapped her forehead and said, "I brought a few bolts of silk with me. I'll take one bolt of Leizhou kudzu and one bolt of blue gauze to make a robe and a jacket for my two younger brothers and for you. I'll also take half a bolt of sea-sky-colored silk to make clothes for Mother. As for the two bolts of red silk, I'll take them home first and store them for future use."
Xu Erpeng didn't make any pretense of refusal, and simply said, "I've got it. Later, your father will invite you to the Zuixianlou restaurant in Nanjing. You can buy whatever little trinkets you like."
Neither father nor daughter had ever seriously explored Nanjing. Miaozhen, being a young girl, was not used to going out, but now that her father was leading her, even though she was wearing a veiled hat, she still found it quite novel.
Zuixianlou is a restaurant that often appears in modern TV dramas, but I never expected that there really was such a restaurant in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty, and it was already open during the reign of Emperor Hongwu. If there was a fight there, someone would quickly come to break it up, and there would be people playing musical instruments and singing, as well as storytelling, making it quite lively.
After leaving the restaurant, Xu Erpeng led his daughter to buy jewelry, including a gold comb back with a butterfly and flower design and a gold lantern pendant.
The father and daughter had just left when Miaozhen returned home. Not long after, Ji's foster mother came and said that someone was looking for her everywhere and asked her father to come over. Miaozhen then said that her father was at the Dongsheng Inn.
The old woman hurried away again.
Xiao Xi didn't understand: "When we were at home, we specifically asked why Grandma didn't send someone to tell us. But as soon as we left, she came looking for us."
"Never mind what she does, as long as the matter is resolved, that's all that matters. There aren't many truly righteous people." Miaozhen knew this very well.
If she doesn't accept the kindness from others, they'll feel like she's not one of them and make things difficult for her. In that case, she might as well just do what she's supposed to do.
Not to mention that the steward by Ji's side found Xu Erpeng the next day and took him to the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, where he personally received the certificate. Because he was a student who received a stipend as a government official, he was better than ordinary handsome men and thus qualified for the imperial examination.
Although Xu Erpeng was also taking the annual examination, he knew his own limitations. He was already quite satisfied with his status as a student of the Imperial Academy and a student of the Imperial Academy. He then invited the steward of the Ji family to a big meal at Zuixianlou Restaurant and gave him two taels of silver as a token of his gratitude.
The steward gave his reply to Madam Ji, and Madam Ji let go of his business. Xu Erpeng also went home as if returning home. The servants also changed their way of addressing him, some calling him Xu Jiansheng and others calling him Xu Yuanwai.
Now that they were on the ship, everyone knew that Xu Erpeng had gone to Nanjing to take the imperial examination. Some people spoke sourly behind his back, saying that he was just a lowly student, but to his face they called him "Master Xu" and that he had the same qualifications as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). If he succeeded in the imperial examination, he might become an official.
After July, in August, Ji's pregnancy symptoms became severe. Although she didn't go out and say that she was pregnant, others had guessed it. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the old lady asked in front of everyone, and Ji nodded and said, "My period hasn't come for two months. I was afraid that if I said I was pregnant, it wouldn't be true, so I didn't tell everyone."
Everyone in the clan was happy to hear this. As the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, Ji was now pregnant and stronger than the others. However, there was one person who was unhappy. Who could it be? It was none other than the third wife, who shared the same plight.
Although Ji had given birth to a daughter before, she had been like a dry well for many years and had a reputation for jealousy. She was not as good as herself in the clan. Now, Ji was pregnant, while she had not reaped a single harvest.
She also heard that it was Miaozhen who helped her with her treatment. Yu Zhoujin originally wanted to become a concubine, and Aunt Zhu agreed on the surface to coax her into doing things. However, Ji Shi became pregnant, and Aunt Zhu used this as an excuse to refuse Yu Zhoujin's request. Yu Zhoujin only hated Miaozhen for ruining her plans, so when she helped the third branch of the family with their medical treatment, she naturally added fuel to the fire.
The third wife was very picky about who she was to serve. She fawned over Ji Shi because she was the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch of the family, but she was perfunctory and irresponsible towards me. She even blamed Miao Zhen for not being able to get pregnant and started to hate her.
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