Chapter 38 (Combined Chapter 38)
Even free clinics need to be properly arranged. First, men cannot sneak in unnoticed. Second, be wary of people who insist on seeing doctors when they are not sick, thus delaying other people's treatment.
Fengniang was to guard the door, while Laiwang and another employee were to keep watch nearby. Anyone who caused trouble would be arrested and taken to the authorities.
Xiao Xi and Xiao Tao boiled the water, applied the atractylodes lancea, and prepared the salt water. Miao Zhen placed the silver needles and moxibustion tools on the table, and prepared several Buddhist scriptures to support her hand when taking her pulse.
The first person to come over was a neighbor, who said with a smile, "I just came to take a look."
"This is a place for medical treatment. If you are sick, I will treat you and will not charge you. If you are not sick, you don't need to come here." Miaozhen had already spoken with the ladies of the Yao, Wu, and Chen families. If any of their maids were sick, they could come over. This was considered a good deed by the masters.
So even if she didn't recognize the signs, she would gradually have some patients come to her.
Because Miaozhen was wearing a mask and had a cold look in her eyes, the middle-aged woman who had been watching couldn't help but purse her lips, but Miaozhen didn't tolerate it. She used to dislike people crowding around her and eavesdropping on others' private matters when she went to the hospital for treatment.
"Here she comes, young lady, one has arrived!" Feng Niang said happily at the door.
Miaozhen asked Sister Tian to invite someone in. It was a woman around thirty years old, holding a little boy's hand. She looked timid: "My husband told me that medical treatment here is free, is that true?"
“Yes, but your son needs to sit over there for a while. Just let me know if you need anything,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
The woman's son, whom she was holding, was unwilling to leave his mother. Fortunately, Miaozhen was prepared and put a few candies in his hand, saying, "Go eat them over there."
Let alone children in the countryside, even city children don't necessarily eat candy every day. The child saw this candy and obediently sat down opposite her. The woman was a little worried, but Miaozhen said, "It's alright, my girl is over there. You should tell me what's wrong with you first."
Wearing a mask makes it harder for people to tell your actual age, making it easier to confide in others, and it also helps prevent the spread of viruses. When Miaozhen asked this question, the woman couldn't wait to say, "I have an itchy area down there, an unbearable itch. To be honest, doctor, I'm itchy even when I'm sitting down. My husband thinks I've caught some kind of venereal disease..."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, let me take your pulse first." Miaozhen took her pulse first, and then carefully recorded her age, living conditions, what kind of work she did on a daily basis, and what she ate. She then asked her to go behind the curtain and take off her pants to check her over. The woman was a little embarrassed, but thinking that they were both women, she was not afraid.
Miaozhen summarized, "You have excessive vaginal discharge, yellow in color, sticky and foul-smelling, and symptoms of constipation. Your tongue is red with a yellow and greasy coating, and your pulse is wiry and rapid. You probably have excess heat in your body, and your liver qi is stagnant. Do you often experience chest tightness and headaches?"
The woman nodded hurriedly: "I often feel tightness in my chest, and my head aches when I'm exposed to wind."
"Well, this requires both internal and external application. Coincidentally, I have some rhubarb powder here. Take two qian (approximately 6 grams) each time you take it, and warm it with wine. Also, boil some thistle in water to wash your lower body. I won't give you the thistle; it's everywhere, you can pick it yourself." Miaozhen asked Xiaoxi to give her the medicine and prescription, and also gave her a boiled egg.
The woman was overjoyed.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "If things don't get better, I will still come here on the full moon of this month. If you want to see me, you can only come at that time. Otherwise, I will not be able to make house calls during the New Year. You can only wait until the new moon and full moon of February."
As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning. After a woman left, several maids from the Wu family arrived. They were all unmarried, some suffering from qi imbalance, others from amenorrhea. Miaozhen prescribed medicine for each of them.
As more and more people gathered, she remained meticulous and thorough in her work.
After seeing about thirty patients that day, I was so tired that I started yawning during dinner.
Seeing this, Xu Erpeng asked, "Did you gain anything from treating these people today?"
"Yes, many of them don't have as many concerns as women from wealthy families, and I asked them more clearly." Miaozhen felt that things like diagnosis and pulse taking required a lot of experience and understanding.
No matter how talented you are, you will stagnate if you waste your time.
Mrs. Mei asked her, "Are there any patients tomorrow?"
"No, I plan to stay home and relax this winter, read some medical books, and not go out." Thinking back to last year when she was called over by the eldest wife of the Cheng family during the Spring Festival, and when her eldest daughter-in-law gave birth, she was always on standby. Now she is much more comfortable.
Madam Mei smiled and said, "I was thinking that we should also go and ask for a stick of incense in a few days. They have asked me several times, but I haven't had time to go."
Miaozhen hugged her mother's arm and said, "I'll go with you."
After resting soundly at home for three days, all her acne and dark circles disappeared completely, better than any magic pill. Early the next morning, Miaozhen originally planned to wear the bright red velvet cloak with silver fur trim that her third grandmother had given her, but after thinking about it, she put it away and changed into a jade-colored shawl, afraid that she would get such fine clothes dirty.
Even for a large family like the Cheng family, fur coats weren't something they could just wear whenever they wanted. They would only make one or two a year at most, and Miaozhen didn't want to waste them.
Most women in Jiangnan wear small items like mink fur headbands, mink fur scarves, and mink fur cloaks. After all, a slightly better fur coat costs fifty or sixty taels of silver. Her coat is made of velvet, and a bolt of velvet costs one hundred taels of silver. It would be suitable for her to keep this cloak for future occasions to make a good impression.
Mei had climbed the mountain in April before, and this time she came to Guiyuan Temple, which is just outside Changmen Gate, closer than the previous place. In the past, her mother would pray here every time her father took the imperial examination, and if the fortune slip was not good, she would draw a few more slips.
This time was no different. She was asking for her daughter's sake. A woman's intuition is always very accurate. Perhaps Mrs. Xiao Er didn't care, but Xiao Jingshi probably didn't feel much. However, the marriage was already arranged, and her daughter would be getting married in just one year. It was best not to cause any trouble.
When they arrived, it wasn't very cold, but when they came out, a strange gust of wind suddenly arose. Madam Mei was nagging, "I told you to wear that cloak, but you insisted on wearing it because you were hot. Now, it's no wonder you've caught a cold."
After saying that, she was about to take off her cloak and give it to her daughter. Miaozhen knew that Mei was always in poor health, so she quickly said, "It's alright. Once we leave the temple, we'll get into the carriage. We can just lower the curtain."
Madam Mei had no choice but to take her daughter out. Xiao Jingshi saw them like this, and he found it strange. In such a big city as Suzhou, why did he keep running into her? He had already run into her at his own doorstep once before.
Seeing how thinly she was dressed and how she was shivering from the cold, Xiao Jingshi looked at his own fur coat and thought that the Xu family originally ran a small business, and they must have already exhausted all their efforts to prepare a considerable dowry.
On the fifteenth of the eleventh lunar month, Miaozhen held another free clinic at the new residence. There were far fewer patients seeking follow-up treatment, which was a good thing, as most of them had already recovered from the illnesses caused by the medicine she prescribed.
This time, only about ten people from the neighborhood and those passing by came in for the free clinic. After seeing Miaozhen, they went home.
Before the twelfth lunar month arrived this year, the Xiao family sent their festival gifts ahead of schedule. The other gifts were fine, but they did send a bright red mink fur coat covered in gold.
Seeing that the fur coat was not only warm but also light and valuable, Madam Mei hurriedly told Miaozhen to put it on, but Miaozhen wanted to take it off.
"It's so cold, why aren't you wearing it? Why are you taking it off instead?" Mei teased.
Miaozhen shook her head: "If I wear this to visit relatives, I'm afraid their eyes will pierce through my clothes. I'd better not. Besides, I have a bright red and gray squirrel fur jacket that I can wear."
Xiao Xi, who was standing nearby, said, "Madam, I think a bright red jacket would look better with a necklace. Why don't I go and find the girl's necklace?"
Madam Mei shook her head: "A gold necklace would be better; wearing a silver one just doesn't feel right."
"Mother, I'll bring the money over later." Miaozhen also thought it would be good to get a gold necklace.
Madam Mei smiled and said, "There's no need for you to prepare this; it's something we should have prepared in the first place."
In the Jiangnan region, once a woman is engaged, the groom's family pays for the clothes made by the tailor. However, the Xu family was unwilling to take advantage of this and always hired embroiderers or tailors to make their own clothes.
For this winter, Xu Erpeng arranged for someone to tailor clothes in advance. He made a jade-colored close-fitting jacket for Miaozhen, and on the outside, a freshly made silver sheepskin jacket with a pattern of intertwined seasonal flowers and auspicious treasures. The cuffs and collar of the jacket were decorated with fur trim, and he also made a mink and rabbit fur coat.
Miaozhen originally had a sea otter and a rabbit, but now, including this ferret and a rabbit, she has two.
Of course, Madam Mei also had one. She even instructed Miaozhen to pack it up, saying, "You're just a child, don't you know what a dowry is? It's a woman's confidence, so you have to keep it safe."
"How could I not know this principle? When I was in the Cheng family, I heard that people who rented out private rooms could earn twenty or thirty taels a month, while those who were taken as concubines were short of money." Banxia still had to ask the Third Master for things every time she wanted them.
Once you've married her, there's no need to put on a show for outsiders.
“How dare you say such things as ‘private nest’?” Madam Mei poked her daughter’s head.
After Miaozhen had the clothes put in the trunk, she and Mei roasted peanuts, chestnuts, and rice cakes on a small stove. The peanuts and chestnuts were fine, but the rice cakes puffed up and were brushed with a thin layer of osmanthus honey. They were so delicious that they almost burned their tongues.
"Sister, can I have some roasted chicken legs?" Jian Ge sniffed.
"You don't need to roast it. We're going to make roast chicken with the live chicken Mrs. Chen sent today. You can eat it however you like." Miaozhen patted her younger brother's round head.
This year, following the instructions in "Wu's Family Cooking Records," she and Mei made a lot of meat and vegetables, making the house very lively and perfect for a bountiful New Year.
Before the Lunar New Year, Ma Yulan got married. Mrs. Ma held onto the basin of water, refusing to pour it out no matter what, but in the end, the water had to be poured out, and everyone around her felt sorry for her.
Mei and Miaozhen couldn't help but burst into tears. After all, they had watched Ma Yulan grow up together. Although the Ma family doted on their daughter, things were different once she went to someone else's home.
I remember when I was little, Madam Mei and her maternal family weren't very close. If the Mei family sent some things during holidays, Old Mrs. Xu would be outwardly enthusiastic, but behind their backs, she would feel that the Mei family was deliberately humiliating her and would be very unhappy. Not to mention Mrs. Ma herself, when her own daughter-in-law went back to her parents' home for a few nights, she was worried about her daughter-in-law's chastity and went to pick her up in advance.
Not to mention ancient times, even in modern times, several of her married classmates and friends have to report to their families whenever they want to go somewhere or not. Some of them also have children to take care of and can't get away from their families.
The Little New Year passed quickly and New Year's Eve arrived. The whole family not only did a thorough cleaning, but also took a bath and changed clothes. Miaozhen wrapped her hair in a headscarf when it was half dry before going out to warm herself by the fire.
She doesn't want to wear any jewelry at home; it feels heavy and uncomfortable on her head.
This year, my third uncle's family is having a reunion dinner, and Miaozhen and her family have to go there for the meal. There's no other way; the elderly are at his house, and Xu Erpeng can't very well not go.
Although she could go out without jewelry, she still wore a bright red and gray squirrel fur jacket, a black cloak, and a gold filigree necklace with butterflies and flowers on her chest. Her hair was styled in two buns, with velvet flowers and small pom-poms on both sides, making her look exceptionally cute.
Seeing her daughter dressed up, Madam Mei was naturally even happier than when she dressed up herself. The family soon arrived at the old house in Fengqiao. The lights there were dim and the dishes had not yet been cooked.
"Mother has a cough; it's from my fever today. Please bear with her," Uncle San said, coming out with a spatula.
Miaozhen went to see Old Lady Xu again and couldn't help but ask, "How did you get infected? I saw you were wearing seven layers of clothes, how did you catch a cold?"
It's really strange that Old Mrs. Xu, who used to wear a quilt every day in winter, caught a cold, especially since her family had sent her two thick coats before the New Year.
Miaolian, who was standing nearby, said, "Grandma (people in Huguang often call their grandmother 'Grandma') didn't catch a cold from wearing clothes. She went to Tiger Hill to watch a play and was assaulted."
Upon hearing this, Miaozhen jumped back and quickly said, "Let me take your pulse."
Before she even took his pulse, Miaozhen was shocked: "This is no ordinary cold, it's an epidemic flu, which can affect people anytime, anywhere." An epidemic flu is also known as the flu, which was similar to a plague in ancient times.
The older children like Miaozhen were a little better off, but the younger children were the most susceptible to infection. She immediately went out and told her parents and uncles, "Luckily, I have prepared Guizhi Tang, Yinqiao San, and Mahuang Tang at home. I will bring them over tomorrow. We can't let Grandmother eat with us today, otherwise the whole family will be infected."
Uncle San hurriedly said, "I think it's just a cold. It's just a meal, it should be fine."
The adults, out of consideration for face, all pretended to be filial, while Miaozhen made a move to take her bowl to sit on the table below, as she did not want to catch the flu.
Xu Erpeng was aware of his daughter's medical skills. Although she might not be an expert in typhoid fever, doctors generally have a certain level of expertise. He had no choice but to say, "In that case, let Mother eat in the inner room. We'll bring the medicine tomorrow, and once Mother is better, we can all gather at our house."
With him taking the lead, Uncle Three still had to pretend to be filial: "It's just a matter of a meal."
“Third brother, you’re opening your business on the seventh day of the new year. What will you do if you also get the plague?” Xu Erpeng said, pointing at his younger brother.
So, Grandma Xu went inside to eat.
After Miaozhen returned, she first had someone boil hot water to wash her hands and mouth and nose, then took out the medicine packet and asked Laiwang to deliver it the next day. She also brewed medicine while keeping watch at night, so that everyone could take precautions.
Old Mrs. Xu recovered after taking a few doses of Ephedra Decoction, but many others were infected with the epidemic. Miaozhen immediately sent people to various pharmacies to buy a lot of medicinal herbs to prevent colds.
Xu Erpeng was also busy. He told the local officials and neighbors, and specially delivered the Scutellaria baicalensis and snow pear soup and sachets that Miaozhen had cooked to the Xiao family.
This stewed pear with scutellaria was originally made for my younger brothers. They are the kids who are most afraid of taking medicine, so they drink this. It can treat seasonal colds and coughs caused by lung heat, and it's also sweet.
Miaozhen figured that since the Xiao family owned a pharmacy, they wouldn't be short of medicine. She felt her previous attempt to deliver medicine had been somewhat abrupt, so she thought it would be better to send them some Scutellaria baicalensis and snow pear soup instead. She also wanted a sachet filled with calamus, atractylodes, patchouli, mugwort, and angelica, which could ward off evil and detoxify. This way, she could repay the Xiao family for the fur coat they had given her.
As for the neighbors, Miaozhen would send medicine to anyone who knew they were infected. Also, Fengniang had helped cook at Fengqiao and served some to Old Lady Xu, who had a headache and fever.
She felt better after taking the medicine, but her head still hurt. So Miaozhen helped her with gua sha, first on her head, and then on her Dazhui and Dazhu acupoints.
Sometimes she could really understand the meaning of "the kindness of raising is greater than the kindness of giving birth". Old Mrs. Xu had always favored her third uncle's family since she was a child. On the contrary, Feng Niang took care of her since she was a child and took her to and from school. Especially after Mei gave birth to Jian Ge'er, she took care of her in a very meticulous way. So compared to Old Mrs. Xu, it was only natural for her to take care of Feng Niang, and she was not afraid of being treated better.
After the scraping therapy, Feng Niang's symptoms were relieved.
By spring, the epidemic had subsided, and thanks to Miaozhen's precautions, even four-year-old Kun was perfectly fine.
However, many people also died tragically. Even Lin Xiaoxiao's own father from the fan shop was said to be dying from an infectious disease. The servants of the Lin family had already gone to Nanjing.
Mrs. Ma was talking to Madam Mei in the room: "You don't know yet, do you? I heard that Lin's marriage hasn't been settled yet. So, she doesn't know who will make decisions for her."
"Didn't her maternal family arrange a marriage for her?" Madam Mei also felt that Lin Xiaoxiao's maternal family was irresponsible.
Mrs. Ma shook her head: "Who knows? But the Lin family's relatives have been coming to our door one after another, all wanting a piece of that property."
Madam Mei scoffed, "It's quite obvious that they want to take advantage of the family's poverty. Luckily, I've heard from my family these past few years that Manager Lin's family doesn't have much money left, and their business isn't doing very well. How much can they possibly get?"
"Whether you get a lot or a little, who wouldn't want something that's free?" This is also why Mrs. Ma buys so much medicine from Miaozhen. If she doesn't have a son, or if her son is too young when she dies, then all the family fortune she has worked so hard to accumulate throughout her life will be given to others.
As the two were talking, they saw that the Lin family had sent someone to invite Xu Erpeng. Xu Erpeng had no choice but to put down his pen and go from the study. When he returned, he said to Madam Mei, "Brother Lin wants to sell me land, but how can I take advantage of him? Besides, I don't know anyone who tends the crops. He said he would help me send two strong men to tend the land, and he would sell it to me for five taels per mu. I was thinking that Zhenzhen still has two hundred taels. Of the six hundred taels the Xiao family gave us, three hundred taels were used to buy the house, and the remaining three hundred taels could be combined with her two hundred taels to buy a qing of land."
Madam Mei frowned: "Those people from the Lin family are really troublesome. We're buying their land? Won't there be any disputes later?"
“If I were just a student, it wouldn’t matter. But now I’m a student of the Imperial Academy, so I’m not afraid of this. Besides, alas, parents all over the world are worried about their children. Manager Lin just wants to quickly sell some money for his daughter. Otherwise, if he just lets go, even if his in-laws come, how can a powerful dragon fight against a local snake? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sold it to me so cheaply.” Xu Erpeng spread his hands.
As long as the Lin family helps him resolve the issue of the servants, he will have no more problems.
Upon hearing this, Madam Mei's brows relaxed, and she asked, "Does the Lin family even know how much land they own?"
"It's not a lot, I heard it's about three hectares. His wife sold some land when she was sick, so now it's about two hectares." Xu Erpeng couldn't possibly take that much land.
Seeing Xu Erpeng say this, Madam Mei asked Miaozhen for the money. Miaozhen hadn't touched the money she had brought back, as she had earned some money selling medicine and treating patients. So when Madam Mei asked, Miaozhen took out the money box.
Because Xu Erpeng knew people from the Third Class, Sixth Household, he found someone from the Household and made a clear settlement with the Lin family before giving Miaozhen the land deeds and the indentures of several farmhands.
Miaozhen put these contracts into a long box, locked it with a copper lock, and placed it in a vase by her bedside.
Her betrothal gifts also included fifty taels of gold. Nowadays, one tael of gold is worth ten taels of silver, so fifty taels of gold is roughly five hundred taels. Her parents will keep this money for themselves.
The family spent a lot of money to prepare her dowry, and her father was afraid that he would lose out to his other sisters-in-law.
Parents' hearts are truly full of love and worry!
Lin Xiaoxiao returned three days later, accompanied by her uncle. Not long after her return, her father passed away after giving some instructions. Miaozhen found out that she had returned and went to stay with her.
Although the two had not seen each other for several years, they were not at all estranged. Lin Xiaoxiao said with some guilt, "Back then, I was at my maternal grandparents' house. They were very strict and wouldn't let me leave the house, so I didn't get to see you."
Miaozhen quickly waved her hand: "Why are you saying this? I know. I won't blame you. Don't be too sad, you should think about the future."
"In the future?" Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head; she didn't know what her future would hold.
Miaozhen comforted her a lot, and fortunately, Manager Lin was smart enough to leave fifty acres for the clan chief to divide as he pleased. All the other shops and fields were sold off. Even so, some clan members still came to persuade her to stay.
Just as the two of them finished eating, a woman with a purple face came in, took Lin Xiaoxiao's hand and said, "Don't go to your uncle's house this time. It's their home after all. Look at you, you're so old and you still don't have a place to settle down. What's wrong with staying in our hometown? We're your relatives after all."
Miao Zhen thought that Lin Xiaoxiao's maternal family must not be very good either. In modern times, women are not required to get married, but in ancient times, choosing a good family was like being reborn. The Lin family sent her to Nanjing for this reason. Now, Lin Xiaoxiao is sixteen or seventeen years old, but she has no place to settle down.
But if she stayed with her family, those people might torture her to death and steal her property.
A wolf's den or a tiger's lair? It's not easy to choose either.
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