Chapter 46 (Combined Chapter)
The Xiao family's boat made its round trip in no more than five days, and Xiao Jingshi returned, bringing Miaozhen a real gold butterfly hairpin, two pairs of embroidered knee-length trousers, two boxes of Hangzhou face powder, eighteen mountain pomegranate flower rouges, and purple mineral dyed cotton rouge.
"Did you bring this for me?" Miaozhen picked up the moth and saw that the gold was flawless. She guessed that this one was very valuable and looked better than her silver-plated moth.
Xiao Jingshi said, "If I see it, I'll buy it."
Actually, he was thinking that since Zhenzhen was always causing trouble, he should send something back to her. That moth cost almost thirty taels of silver, and he spent a long time choosing the style.
Miaozhen was delighted to see the jewelry and asked Xiao Jingshi to help her put it on. When she asked about the price, she was a little surprised to learn how much it cost. "Although I am very happy to have received it, I don't want you to spend so much money."
"Don't say that, I just bought it when I remembered." Xiao Jingshi took off his outer coat and handed it to Miaozhen.
Miaozhen couldn't help but seize on his words: "Did you miss me when you were in Hangzhou?"
Xiao Jingshi immediately agreed in his heart, but said aloud, "No, not exactly—"
"Okay, okay, I understand."
She hung up Xiao Jingshi's clothes and prepared a royal blue satin robe for him. She then talked about family matters: "After you left, my sister-in-law's father, Old Man Xia, passed away. My elder brother and sister-in-law went to Yangzhou for the funeral."
Xiao Jingshi bluntly said, "A man who mistreats his wife will never have any wealth. Just wait and see."
Miaozhen glanced at him, startled: "My brother, what are you talking about?"
“What’s there to not understand? My elder brother was betrothed to the Ding family back then, and it was an arrangement made by both families when we were young. After my cousin passed the county-level imperial examination, he lost interest in the imperial examinations. It was Instructor Ding who personally tutored him and introduced him to the head of the medical department in our prefecture. Little did he know that he was also someone with his own ideas and got involved with that person from the Xia family.” Xiao Jingshi immediately said.
Miao Zhen had actually heard her family mention this before, but not in great detail. She thought that at least Xiao Jingshi was scolding his cousin, not just blaming the woman, which made her feel somewhat favorably towards him. She couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by 'not bringing in any wealth'? Your sister-in-law's dowry is top-notch in our Wu region."
"If Old Man Xia leaves, the Xia family will go downhill. It'll be good enough if the Xia family can even take care of her dowry. What else can they do?" Xiao Jingshi tied the belt on his clothes.
After he finished changing his clothes, Sixth Master (Xiao Jingtang) asked Xiao Jingshi to leave, and Xiao Jingshi then left.
Meanwhile, the two brothers went to Songhe Restaurant for a drink, where Zhu Shaoting happened to be present. He asked them, "My two virtuous brothers, how is your marriage going?"
Xiao Jingshi remained silent, but Xiao Jingtang said, "Of course it's good. My servant is truly wise and obedient to me."
“Good, the woman is very virtuous, but I’m afraid she might encounter a shrew.” Zhu Shaoting had a deep understanding of this.
Although Xiao Jingshi disliked Zhu Shaoting, he was still very good at socializing. He said, "My servant is a bodhisattva-like person. He does needlework with me every day and is very capable."
Zhu Shaoting was filled with envy and jealousy at the brothers' words and urged others to drink together. Xiao Jingshi, knowing that he planned to go into seclusion to study and no longer associate with these people, simply ate more.
When he returned, Miaozhen saw that he had indeed drunk too much, so she quickly had someone prepare the kudzu flower decoction that she had already prepared and brought it to him to drink. Xiao Jingshi drank it all in one gulp, and his symptoms of dizziness, chest tightness, and vomiting were indeed relieved a lot.
"I've already had someone fetch hot water. Take a bath and relax a bit."
Seeing that Xiao Jingshi had stood up, she instructed someone to take down her screen and put two charcoal braziers inside, fearing that he would catch a cold. By the time everything was ready, it was already late at night.
When Xiao Jingshi sobered up, Miaozhen brought up the matter again: "I often need to use medicinal herbs here. Although my second sister-in-law asked me to take them from our cabinet, I didn't want to refuse her kindness at the time, but I think it's still inappropriate. Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. If we mix them together like this, it will be difficult for people to gossip about us in the future."
If it were someone else, they would think Miaozhen was being distant, but Xiao Jingshi realized that she was far-sighted. Although it was now the family shop, they had taken advantage of it and were now being criticized for the few medicines they had paid for. So he said, "You are right. Second sister-in-law means well. Just send the servant and do whatever you need to do."
Seeing Xiao Jingshi say this, she calmed down.
He usually gets a headache from hangovers, but after taking the hangover soup yesterday, he felt much better. He then instructed Miaozhen, "I'm going to stay home and read. You can come, but don't let anyone disturb me."
"Don't worry, if anyone asks, I'll start by saying this: this year's provincial examination is more important than anything else."
Miaozhen also had a secret on her mind. The wife of the magistrate of Wu County had mentioned to her the imperial court's selection of female physicians. She said that the court had decreed that those skilled in traditional Chinese medicine should be selected from among the common people. After the various government offices made their selections, they would be sent to the Imperial Physicians' Association of the Directorate of Ceremonial for further selection. Miaozhen was interested in this; if she could go to the palace, her value would naturally increase significantly.
With the recommendation of the magistrate of Wu County, she might be among those selected, but whether she would actually be chosen depended on luck. She didn't want to tell anyone now, for fear that if she didn't succeed, people would laugh at her.
March had already passed for some time. Miaozhen had previously asked her aunt to give her some hints, so after the greetings had ended, she told Madam Ren her request: "In previous years, I went out to provide free medical consultations, but I checked the auspicious dates, and the full moon is a good day for travel. I would like to ask you for your guidance?"
“This is a good thing. If you ask me, you don’t need to go to Fengmen. You might as well go to the newly built Woyun Nunnery. There will be worshippers there. I will go with you and see what kind of medicinal herbs you need. Just tell the counter what you need. It will be a good deed for our family,” said Madam Ren.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "Yes, I'll write the list when I get back."
She was very efficient. After returning home, she wrote down several commonly used medicines. Since it was under the Xiao family's name, Miaozhen couldn't buy the medicine in her own name.
After finishing writing, she was about to have someone take it directly to Han Shi, but then she remembered that she had to tell Xiao Jingshi, so she went to the study first. It was her first time in the outer study. She had originally thought that the study would be filled with sandalwood, but she did not expect that it would be decorated in a simple and natural style.
In the center of the study stood a large landscape screen, with a painting table in front of it and a daybed behind it. Not far from the painting table were bookshelves, and by the window was a desk with vases, incense burners, and books on it. On the wall next to the desk hung a painting, behind which were several scrolls of books, and next to it hung a large landscape painting.
It is also said that on the east wall of the desk is an exquisite plum blossom window, and below the window is a square pebble path, where a green bonsai is placed, which is pleasing to the eye.
"Husband, did I disturb you?" Miaozhen walked over with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi rarely saw him act like this outside his bedroom, so he asked, "What's wrong? Speak if you have something to say."
He had to hurry up and finish reading the second volume of the book, otherwise he would fail the imperial examination and have no face to face the people of Jiangdong.
Miaozhen then explained the matter of the free clinic, and Xiao Jingshi frowned: "Does it have to be in a nunnery?"
"This is what Mother decided, so I can't say anything else. Why don't you agree?" Miao Zhen thought to herself, "Even if you don't agree, I'm still going."
Xiao Jingshi shook his head: "Free medical consultations are fine, but not at nunneries."
“Why? My teacher, Madam Tao, used to often provide free medical consultations at nunneries and Taoist temples. Women usually went there more often,” Miaozhen said.
Xiao Jingshi wanted to say something, but ultimately shut up. Miaozhen, however, seemed to know him inside and out, saying, "Are you afraid that those monks are being sarcastic? Afraid that I'll be kidnapped?"
He hadn't expected his wife to be such a perceptive person. He immediately nodded, as these were things he found difficult to talk about.
Miaozhen laughed and said, "Actually, these people are very good at judging people. If you are full of Buddhist scriptures, they will seriously preach to you. Besides, I am only borrowing two rooms from them to treat some poor or embarrassed women. I am too busy to even take care of my own family."
These words convinced Xiao Jingshi to agree, but he added, "I'll take you there then."
"Alright." Seeing that he agreed, Miaozhen hurriedly went out to get the prescribed medicine and instructed Ping'an to go to Fengmen and tell Xu Fang and Xiao Tao to transport the supplies from the free clinic to Dingxiang Lane.
Seeing that everything was in order, she went home to read and write, and it was very quiet there.
Xiao Jingshi ate lunch in his study, and she ate by herself without complaining. Even Madam Han praised her to her husband: "Fourth sister-in-law is a good-natured woman. She is always cheerful and talkative. She usually stays in her room and doesn't argue with anyone except when others come to consult her."
The eldest son of the second wife, Xiao Jingheng, was originally addressed as "Master," but thanks to Chao's suggestion, he was changed to "Second Master." His name was well-chosen, and he was handsome, except that he resembled his mother, Ren, in height, being shorter than his two younger brothers and about the same height as Han, to the point that Han couldn't wear high heels.
Xiao Jingheng may seem harmless, but he is actually quite cunning and treacherous. The family's tea shop is managed by him and is thriving.
Therefore, he asked, "How is Jing Shi now?"
"She and her husband are doing very well," Mrs. Han said with a smile.
Xiao Jingheng then said, "Jingshi is the most handsome among us brothers. He has been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, excelling in both writing and painting. He is truly a man of outstanding talent. My third uncle has repeatedly said that he would arrange a marriage for him after he passes the imperial examination, but I never expected that my mother would make a decision so quickly?"
Han secretly wondered if her mother-in-law, who believed in the concept of birth charts, might dislike such a high-born daughter-in-law and therefore take the initiative.
It's highly likely that her mother-in-law often complained privately about being mistreated by her third aunt.
"If Fourth Brother really becomes a high-ranking official in the future, will he still be able to keep his wife who has shared his hardships?" Madam Han also lamented Madam Xu's bad luck.
Xiao Jingheng laughed and said, "That's hard to say. Although I am his brother, I am not good at studying. If he becomes successful in the future, I will have to listen to him. But he is quite arrogant and somewhat reckless, so I will have to make things right for him."
Han felt silently sad for her younger brother and sister-in-law.
Miaozhen didn't think so much. She was now a well-known female doctor in the Changmen and Fengmen areas, but she couldn't necessarily cure all diseases. For example, the illness of Mrs. Chen's sister-in-law next door had not been cured after taking several doses of her medicine. Miaozhen said, "Why don't you go and ask other doctors to take a look?"
"Let's ask Fourth Grandmother to treat us." Mrs. Chen didn't know who to ask for help.
Miaozhen replied, "I am doing this for your own good. Although I am skilled in gynecology, since my methods have been ineffective, I don't want to delay you any longer."
Sometimes, seeing a doctor is like this: if the diagnosis is correct, the recovery is quick; if the diagnosis is incorrect or the method is not right, it won't work.
Mrs. Chen sighed when she heard Miaozhen say this. Miaozhen saw that Grandma Wu had also brought a relative over, so she invited the young woman in and asked, "What illness do you have? Tell me about it."
"Ms. Xu, I've had this problem ever since I gave birth. I often need to urinate, and after urinating, my lower area is both painful and astringent, which is very uncomfortable."
Miao Zhen already had a diagnosis in mind, but she still took her pulse and asked her to stick out her tongue. She said regretfully, "Your pulse is thin and slippery, your tongue is pale with a white and moist coating, and the coating at the root of your tongue is yellow. Is there anything else wrong?"
The man shook his head: "That's the problem, everything else is fine."
Miaozhen said, "Your illness is postpartum urinary tract infection. I will prescribe a formula for you: Imperata cylindrica root decoction with red adzuki beans."
Imperata cylindrica root decoction treats various postpartum urinary tract infections. It contains gypsum, Imperata cylindrica root, Dianthus superbus, Poria cocos, Malva verticillata seeds, ginseng, peach gum, talc, croaker head, and red adzuki beans. It is decocted with rush pith water and taken orally.
This gypsum can clear heat and reduce fire without harming the stomach, while Imperata cylindrica root can clear heat and promote urination, and red adzuki beans can nourish blood, remove dampness, and relieve urinary tract infections.
After she wrote out the prescription, the patients gave her three qian (a unit of weight) as a consultation fee. Miaozhen asked Xiaoxi to see them out, and she finished writing in her medical log before returning to her room.
March 15th arrived quickly, and Xiao Jingshi sent the women to Woyun Nunnery. The nuns there had already been instructed to not only promote the free clinic in the vicinity but also to prepare two empty rooms for her.
Miaozhen, along with the maids and servants, arranged the place properly, then activated the magic of the heavens, waiting for the guests to arrive.
The women who came for the free clinic included some who lived at the foot of Woyun Temple, and others who had come to join in the fun after listening to sermons at Woyun Temple. Miaozhen saw ten people in a row and all went relatively smoothly. Then a woman carrying a board came. She seemed to have just given birth not long ago. She was brought by her mother-in-law.
"Doctor, please treat my daughter-in-law. She gave birth to a son two days ago, which should have been a joyous occasion, but the placenta won't come out, and she keeps fainting like this."
Miaozhen first had the woman carried to the delivery bed, thinking that this was a case of retained placenta during normal childbirth. Generally, there are two situations where the placenta is retained during normal childbirth: one is blood stasis, which she had just mentioned, and the other is insufficient vital energy. However, this woman was dizzy, which is usually caused by blood stasis.
But she continued to take the woman's pulse and saw that the pulse was weak, her face was pale, and there were faint teeth marks on her tongue. She asked, "Are you feeling unwell either?"
The new mother nodded: "I'm always feeling irritable and restless."
Miaozhen immediately prepared the placenta-dispelling soup and instructed the mother-in-law, "You should get the medicine according to this prescription. Only by nourishing the mother's body can the placenta be expelled smoothly."
The mother-in-law's family must be quite well-off, so she quickly asked her family to get the medicine, and Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief.
Lou Qiongyu, who had only been watching the spectacle, was terrified and asked Miaozhen, "Fourth Sister-in-law, is there someone who has given birth but the placenta won't come out?"
"Yes, there are many other problems, such as stillbirth during childbirth, and miscarriage due to constipation. In short, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum are very difficult for women." Miaozhen was not exaggerating. There are indeed women who are gifted enough to give birth as easily as drinking water, but most people suffer from the pain of childbirth.
Speaking of her sister-in-law, she is really quiet and well-mannered. She is knowledgeable but not loud or boisterous.
The two had only exchanged a few words when another woman in labor arrived, suffering from insufficient fetal energy. Fortunately, Miaozhen had some fetal-stabilizing powder on hand and gave it to her to help with the pregnancy.
Some of them, after receiving the medicine, didn't leave but stayed around talking. Some women, who were often confined at home, were so happy to have someone to listen to them that they sat there like caged beasts released from their cages, their mouths never shut.
When no one came, Miaozhen would write in her medical journal and chat with them for a few minutes, but when someone came, she had to send them away.
After all, with so many people gathered here, there's absolutely no privacy.
Sure enough, the next patient to come was a woman who wanted to treat rectal prolapse. It was said that it was caused by excessive force during childbirth. Miaozhen immediately wrote a prescription. After that, there were several other patients, and Miaozhen gave them some medicine. When Ren came out, her first free clinic after marriage was over.
After returning to the Xiao family, some servants sought her medical treatment, and she did not act arrogantly. Of course, even so, not everyone spoke well of her. Some refused to follow her prescriptions, or took the medicine sporadically, and did not observe any dietary restrictions. Instead, they secretly said that her medical skills were just hype.
There were also cases where someone broke a bone, and when Miaozhen told them to go see an orthopedic doctor, she was also gossiped about behind her back.
Knowing this, Han said to Miaozhen, "Those petty people are good at talking nonsense. You won't need to be kind to them in the future."
"That's normal. Look, only three people say bad things about me, while hundreds say good things. Why would I believe their bad comments? I need to cure more people, and those rumors about me will fall apart on their own." Miaozhen wouldn't give up just because someone attacked her.
Upon hearing this, Madam Han said, "I admire your tenacity."
Miaozhen laughed and said, "I admire you, sister-in-law. You can manage so many people, both upstairs and downstairs. To be honest, I can't even manage these few little sparrows in my yard."
Han was very enthusiastic: "If there's no problem with any of them, I'll just send someone over."
Miaozhen chatted with her and learned that the third daughter of the third branch had gotten married. Rao had Xiao Jingheng send her back. The two then talked about the Cen family. Han said, "Young Master Cen is taking the imperial examination with your family this year. I heard that he is also very learned. If he passes, your third sister will have married the right person."
“If you ask me, my third sister has the air of a mistress or official’s wife. She’s also very opinionated. She’d definitely be able to take charge of the Cen family,” Miaozhen said.
Madam Han said with regret, "It's a pity she was born out of wedlock. If she had come from my third aunt's womb, she might have married even better."
Although Miaozhen didn't know how her married second daughter was doing, this third daughter seemed alright.
On March 20th, Xu Erpeng's birthday, Miaozhen said to Xiao Jingshi, "If you want to study, you can study in the study. I will go there myself."
"Even though he's always in the study, he needs to go out for some fresh air." Xiao Jingshi was very satisfied with his wife. She never disturbed him while he was reading, and would occasionally bring him some soup. If he liked it, he would eat a few more bites; if he didn't, he would leave it aside, and she would never get angry.
She is a person who makes others feel comfortable around her and does not have an overly strong desire for control.
He has no liking for hysterical or overly obsessive women.
Miaozhen hasn't had much interaction with him these days, but she spends more time with her sisters-in-law. In fact, when Xiao Jingshi stays up late reading, he just falls asleep in the study.
Now, she and Xiao Jingshi brought birthday gifts home. Although she had only been married for a little over a month and had returned home before, it was as if several years had passed since she returned.
Relatives from the Xu and Mei families came to visit again. The once arrogant Aunt Qiao is no longer here, which is quite sad.
The men were eating and drinking in front, while the women were all chatting inside. Miao Zhen was afraid that another woman like the eldest Bao would come from the Bao family after Miao Lian's marriage, so she didn't go over.
Bao Shi, Miao Lian, Feng Luan (cousin), her maternal uncle, Old Lady Xu, Fourth Aunt Xu, and others were also there. They saw that Miao Zhen was dressed in a gorgeous outfit today. Instead of wearing a bun, she wore a drooping bun, with pearl necklaces and jade flowers on one side. In the center, a butterfly hairpin trembled, which was quite beautiful.
Madam Mei asked, "This hairpin is beautiful."
“My husband and I brought it back from Hangzhou,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Aunt Mei said, "It's been over a month since Zhenzhen got married, hasn't it? How is she doing in the Xiao family?"
When her younger brother was born, Aunt Mei went to the old house and left without even eating, showing great disdain. Miao Zhen, to save face for her mother, said, "I won't talk about the other members of the Xiao family, but the sisters-in-law all get along well, and my mother-in-law doesn't cause any trouble. Anyway, I'm very satisfied."
Madam Mei smiled and said, "I think so too. Family harmony is better than anything else."
Aunt Fengluan then told Miaolian that she had bought a pair of shoes for one tael and two mace of silver, and Miaolian and the others naturally surrounded her to talk about it.
Seeing that there were many people, Madam Mei used the excuse of changing clothes to let Miaozhen in. She then said to her, "Don't just look at the present. You must take advantage of the wedding to get pregnant. If your husband goes to take the imperial examination after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he may have to go to the capital. This trip may take half a year to a year. You can't be foolish."
"I know, but he's been studying these days, how can I disturb him?" Actually, the two of them do share a room, but Miaozhen finds it a bit too much to handle. She sometimes has to make house calls, but she can't bring herself to say it.
Madam Mei said, "You are a doctor yourself, so I can't say for sure. You should take good care of your health."
Miao Zhen should be right.
The luncheon consisted of forty dishes. Miaozhen and the others brought a jar of Sanbai wine and a jar of grape wine. The women's table was set with grape wine. With the good wine, dishes, snacks and fruits, everyone swarmed in like locusts. Bao Shi ate her food, and if she couldn't reach it, she had the maid hand it to her and put it in her food box.
After finally finishing their meal, they were all like clean plates, and even Miaolian had two extra bowls of rice.
After lunch, Xu Erpeng would go to his study to write. He would only prepare one meal for his guests, and he would make them so full that they could barely walk. He would not say that he had not entertained them well. Otherwise, he would have to entertain guests from morning till night and would not have time to write his storybook.
Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi were also preparing to leave, telling them to go to the Xiao family during the Dragon Boat Festival, and that the Han and Lou families would also be there to watch the dragon boat races. Mei Shi said she understood.
Once outside, Xiao Jingshi helped her into the carriage and asked, "Your father-in-law said he doesn't want to go out and asked your mother-in-law and two brothers-in-law to go instead. Should I come and invite them again that day?"
“My dad said he wasn’t going, and he definitely didn’t want to go, so please don’t be offended.” Her dad is just very individualistic.
Just like today, with forty large platters of food, even my usually voracious third aunt kept loosening her belt and her mouth was numb from eating so much that she couldn't even speak. It's because her father didn't want to entertain guests from morning till night and just feed them all in one meal.
Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "Father-in-law, that's a good idea. Next time he comes to our house, prepare a large ice platter of sixty pieces for him, and I'll treat him to a meal before he leaves."
"Nonsense, who's going to be responsible if you die from overeating?" Miaozhen poked his forehead.
Seeing the two of them being so affectionate, Miaolian, who was not far away, couldn't help but wonder, wasn't she supposed to be marrying Tunzhen? How come Second Sister and Brother-in-law Xiao get along so well?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
