Chapter 48 (Combined Chapter)
Meanwhile, Madam Ren held one of her daughters-in-law's hands in each hand, looking utterly content. Although Han Yueyao felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this, she thought that her two younger siblings-in-law might bring her some joy upon entering the family, and she also planned to see a doctor to regulate her body in a few days. So, she smiled and smiled.
Even without being told, Xiao Jingshi already knew. He was not one to rush things, so he stormed into the main room, and the others pushed Miaozhen out to the side room to talk.
"So that's why you've been sending me to sleep in the study lately, and telling me to study hard. You didn't even tell me." Xiao Jingshi still felt a little aggrieved.
Miao Zhen whispered in his ear, "Back then, neither my second sister-in-law nor my brother's wife were pregnant, and I hadn't even had a stable pregnancy when I made a fuss about it. What did they think of me? They thought I was showing off on purpose."
Xiao Jingshi said, "What's the big deal? Anyway, I'll be your protector in the outer study every day."
How come Xiao Jingshi has become so eloquent now that she's pregnant? Little did she know that Xiao Jingshi had been sleeping in the study every day for the past few days and had long wanted to go back to sleep there, but he couldn't tell Miaozhen. On the contrary, she felt very dependent on her, so this matter allowed him to take the opportunity to back down.
Miaozhen laughed again: "You should go back first. If you come all this way like this, people will laugh at you."
"Okay." Xiao Jingshi was still a little disappointed.
Seeing that he was really about to leave, Miaozhen called out to him again, "Let's have dinner together later, just the two of us. Mother-in-law has prepared it, and I'll only eat a bite. Shall I go back and eat with you?"
Xiao Jingshi was happy again, "You should eat some more."
Seeing him like this, Miaozhen felt that he was strong-willed but actually very easy to coax. Sometimes he would say something unpleasant, but you could just ignore it. Because Miaozhen's personality was such that once she wanted to accomplish something, no matter what you said or what you liked, she would get it done. Moreover, she was upright and her words were always true. Xiao Jingshi was often persuaded by her.
After Xiao Jingshi left, Miaozhen came in. Madam Lou was talking intimately with Old Madam Han, while Madam Mei was talking with Madam Ren. Madam Lou's husband was the registrar of Wu County, in charge of the county's finances, and he associated with officials. Although Miaozhen's father was from a gentry family, in Madam Lou's eyes, her family was the higher-ranking one, while the Xu family was the lower-ranking one. She didn't show it on the surface, but she was closer to Old Madam Han, the wife of a commander.
Madam Mei, being meticulous, was naturally aware of Madam Lou's actions; she too was holding her breath in resentment.
Just as Miaozhen was speaking, Madam Chao arrived with Xia Xianjie. Madam Chao quickly stepped forward to congratulate her, and Madam Ren hurriedly said, "Congratulations to you too."
When Xia Xianjie heard that Miaozhen and Lou Qiongyu were both pregnant, she was as excited as if she were carrying dragons. She took the opportunity to say to Han Shi, "We are all the same kind of daughters-in-law. We two came first and are just there to make up the numbers. If we have no merit, we have worked hard."
Han remained silent.
At the banquet, Madam Ren and Madam Chao each sat at a separate table, while below them sat Old Madam Han and her daughter at one table, Xia Xianjie and Suyun at another, Miaozhen and her daughter at another, and Madam Lou and Lou Qiongyu at yet another.
Each table had forty small dishes, and on the table were sugar candy, platters, fruit platters, cold dishes, hot dishes, and soup bowls. Madam Mei was a meticulous person. Since her daughter Miaozhen was a child, her socks had always been washed to be the whitest. Now that her daughter was pregnant, she whispered, "You can eat fish and shrimp in small amounts now that you're pregnant. Eating too much will easily cause diarrhea, you know?"
"Yes, I understand. Mother, you must try this crystal goose; it's the chef's specialty." Miaozhen also served some food to Madam Mei.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Lou was also talking to Lou Qiongyu, carefully picking out fish bones for her. Not to mention, Old Mrs. Han whispered, "I'll invite that Huang girl over. She has a method for conceiving a child. We can't just sit here and do nothing."
Madam Han nodded: "You can call the people over when the time comes, and I'll prepare the money." She was in charge of the household, so even though she didn't have much cash on hand, she did have some cloth and other valuables.
While everyone else nestled close to their mothers, Xia Xianjie sat only with Suyun, who was also Ren Shi's beloved daughter. Xia Xianjie felt increasingly lonely and isolated, and went back to her room to cry for a long time, but we'll leave that aside for now.
After the banquet ended, Miaozhen returned with Madam Mei and her daughter. They were first arranged to stay in a side room, and then they went inside. There, they saw Xiao Jingshi with several red candles lit on a candlestick, and five or six dishes. Although it was not a grand banquet, it was still very exquisite. All the dishes were seasonal and light, and they were all made with great care.
The two sat facing each other. When Miaozhen was keeping it a secret, she wouldn't touch her belly, but after telling everyone today, she couldn't help but touch it: "I never imagined that I would be pregnant."
“What’s so surprising about that? I’m young and strong, and I only give to you. It’s normal that you’re pregnant,” Xiao Jingshi said.
Miaozhen retorted angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xiao Jingshi said, "If I tell you the truth, you think it's too crude, but if I tell you a lie, you love to hear it."
“Regardless of whether it’s true or false, you should say that everyone in this world loves to hear nice things, but not the kind of flattery you’d expect. You should find someone’s good points to praise; if they’re happy, you’ll be happy too,” Miaozhen laughed.
Xiao Jingshi shook his head: "That's right. There are just some people who are completely useless, and there's nothing to say about them."
Miaozhen took a pancake and was breaking it apart to eat: "That's true. Anyway, that's how I am. As long as you don't commit murder, arson, or other crimes, if you harm me, I'll just teach you a lesson in return. But if you're too wicked, I'm willing to risk everything."
"I didn't expect you to be so straightforward." Xiao Jingshi liked this kind of person; he disliked those who wouldn't budge even if poked with an awl.
Miaozhen said, "Didn't I tell you that when my mother was giving birth, she encountered an incompetent doctor who almost caused her to have a difficult delivery? Later, I wanted to study medicine, and my father said that I had to memorize all the medical books first. He wanted to see my determination. Later, because of this, I was fortunate enough to become a disciple of Madam Tao. But from that time on, I knew that I couldn't rely on other people's kindness and pity. I had to have real skills myself. So, I always have my own things to do, and I don't care about others unless they go too far. But if you provoke me, I won't swallow my anger."
"I didn't realize you had such a temper. Most of the servants speak well of you." Xiao Jing often saw Miao Zhen with a smile.
“The servants don’t have it easy either. Most of them are already working hard, they don’t have much education, and their money is limited. No matter what, my life is better than theirs. Think about it, sometimes, for people like you and me who are educated, a difficult problem is something we can solve, but it’s incredibly difficult for them, forcing them to take the most difficult path. Besides, although I can’t compare to you, I have a dowry, land, a few coins for medical consultations, and such a good husband. Naturally, I’m in a good mood, and I treat the people around me even better.” Miaozhen didn’t know why, but she spoke so many heartfelt words today.
Xiao Jingshi summarized it in one sentence: "What you said is that even a rabbit will jump over the wall when cornered; always leave a way out if you can."
Miaozhen gave a thumbs up: "That's exactly what I mean."
The two chatted happily, and after washing up in the evening, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Meanwhile, on the sixth wife's side, Mrs. Lou was sleeping with Lou Qiongyu today and was lecturing her daughter: "Your fourth sister-in-law is so scheming. She didn't say a word when she was pregnant, but now that you're pregnant, she's the one who's dominating you."
Lou Qiongyu said, "Mother, Fourth Sister-in-law only entered the family a few days before me, and we have a good relationship."
"Whether it's good or bad, you have to be careful. Your sister-in-law is very alluring, but quite arrogant. No wonder she stole someone else's husband," Mrs. Lou said.
"Mother~" Lou Qiongyu told her to stop talking.
Mrs. Lou said, "Alright, I won't say anything more. If I had known you were pregnant, I would have brought all the walnuts and dates from home. The house is piled high with them, but no one eats them."
The Lou family received many gifts, so they didn't need to buy food for themselves. Mrs. Lou was also very shrewd; she would give gifts in return for the gifts they received, so that her family didn't spend a penny.
Just before going to bed, Mrs. Lou couldn't help but speak again: "Your second wife, Han Ersao, isn't pregnant. Whoever gives birth to a son between you and your fourth wife will win."
Not to mention that when she started the conversation, Lou Qiongyu had dark circles under her eyes the next day, which startled Miaozhen.
Madam Mei slept very well here. The courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds. In addition, her daughter was pregnant, so she felt refreshed. She also had breakfast with her daughter and son-in-law. Her son-in-law was also good to her daughter, which made her happy.
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. The Xiao family has a special painted boat. The women travel in sedan chairs. After arriving at their destination, everyone boarded the painted boat. Madam Han, along with Qiongyu from Miaozhenlou, presented Madam Ren with a tray of needlework she had made.
These needlework pieces were not perfunctory; Lady Ren was delighted to see them, and even Lady Chao received a copy.
After everyone was seated, servants brought in a fruit platter, featuring white jade loquats, lychees, and oranges, along with various small, colorful rice dumplings. Miaozhen's two younger brothers, the older one Jian'er, went outside to play on the shore with Xiao Jingshi, while Kun'er, who was only five years old, stayed inside.
Miaozhen peeled a lychee for him: "Young man, have one."
"Sister, is there a dragon boat race later?" Kun asked, taking the lychee from her.
"Yes, this is the best location. Don't wander off later!"
"I know. Let me peel an orange for you, and I'll whisper something to you."
The child was so cute that Miaozhen was eager to hear his secret. After he finished eating the lychee, he told her, "I love fried eggs, so my brother-in-law gave me five fried eggs and said he wouldn't tell you."
"Does your stomach feel bloated?" Miaozhen touched his frog-like belly.
Kun-ge shook his head: "If my brother plays with me spinning tops, I'll be fine."
Miaozhen said, "Your brother-in-law really didn't tell me. I'll go back and tell him. Even if it's delicious, don't eat too much. If you eat too much at once, you won't want to eat it next time." However, she still smiled and said, "But don't worry, if you really overeat, I'll make you some digestive tea."
Kun-ge gave the peeled orange to Miao-zhen, who kissed him and tickled him. Kun-ge laughed.
Ever since Jian Ge'er was bitten by a dog, both boys have chosen very careful and loyal companions. Miao Zhen played with her younger brother for a while, and then Mei Shi said, "Do you still remember when He Jia'er invited your third uncle Miao Lian and the others to have fun during the Dragon Boat Festival, and Miao Lian was so shabby?"
"How could I not remember? I'm just too lazy to bother with them." Miaozhen shook her head.
Then Madam Mei brought up another matter: "Last time it was your father's birthday, didn't your nephew-in-law He come? He kept saying that his family was sparsely populated, and your father was thinking of converting the back building where you used to live into a study, so he asked him if he could build some bookshelves and what the price would be. He agreed readily, saying he would agree on a price with your father. But after going back, he didn't hear from us for half a month. Your father thought he wasn't willing, so he found another company to build them. Later, he found another company with an even lower price. Isn't it funny? We had already found someone, and then your third aunt came over and said that the He family's woodworking shop had already started construction and that we should pay. Your father and I gave her a piece of our minds."
Miaozhen said, "If you ask me, it would be best to have no connection with the He family at all. It's obvious."
"It's all because He Huai cried poverty in front of your father, and your father thought it didn't matter who he worked for, he never expected this to happen. He originally thought your third aunt and uncle were confused, and that the He family was unreliable in their work." Madam Mei sighed.
Miaozhen shrugged: "There's a saying that you can't sleep in the same bed with two kinds of people. Although it's not necessarily true that both are the same, there's still a problem." She also told the story about how an aunt from the Xiao family came to their door to ask for money, and how she gave her a bag of flour.
Madam Mei readily agreed: "You've just entered the family, so this is exactly how it should be. Your father and I often keep an eye on things for you at your Fengmen residence. Don't worry, the servants wouldn't dare to act so blatantly."
The mother and daughter were chatting animatedly when Madam Ren offered them realgar wine, but Miaozhen didn't drink a drop. When others looked over, she just pretended to drink it. She even privately asked Xiaoxi to tell Lou Qiongyu that Lou Qiongyu, separated by a row of people, nodded to Miaozhen in gratitude.
Not to mention that outside, firecrackers were going off, drums were beating, and dragon boats were racing, making it both nerve-wracking and incredibly exciting for the viewers.
After finally finishing watching, Madam Ren invited people to sing "The Story of the Thorn Hairpin" and "The Story of the White Rabbit." Everyone listened for a while before going home. After returning home, another banquet was held. After the banquet, Madam Mei took her two sons home and said that she would send Fengniang over later. Madam Lou and Old Madam Han stayed for a few more days.
Mrs. Lou was quite kind; after staying for a few days, she had walnuts and dates brought over, and even shared some with Miaozhen. But when Old Mrs. Han returned home, she was carrying large and small bags.
Han Yueyao gave away six taels of silver in one go, not to mention the clothes and fabrics, she gave even more.
This time, for the Dragon Boat Festival, she made three sets of gold-flecked clothes, and spent another ten taels to buy new hairpins and ornaments. She was now broke.
Miaozhen is alright; she just doesn't make house calls anymore, but it seems like others can still come to see her.
For example, a patient introduced by Mrs. Yao said as soon as he arrived: "I always feel cold, my body is always chilly, I am always uncomfortable, and sometimes my stomach hurts."
"How is your journey?" Miaozhen asked.
The woman said, "My period is irregular, and look, there's something growing in my belly that I don't know what it is."
Miaozhen touched it and found it was indeed a lump. This woman must have abdominal masses. She asked her in detail how long it had taken before she was given the Water Mansion Pill. The woman left one tael of silver, and Miaozhen had someone escort her out.
Then another patient came in with phlegm nodules on her neck. She had treated this disease before, but she still had to explain it to the patient again: "When a person is weak, there are lumps all over the body, and the body is full of phlegm. Your phlegm nodules on your neck are due to qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation, so I will not only moxibustion two acupoints for you, but also prescribe medicine. As a result, the consultation fee will be more expensive, only one tael of silver."
Miaozhen rarely had people refuse to pay her consultation fees, but last time she saw two old ladies, one of whom cured her without mentioning the consultation fee at all, and the other even took her prescription to get medicine, claiming that it was prescribed by another doctor and that her own medicine was not good. In short, they both wanted to renege on their promises.
Therefore, she now states directly that treating illnesses is treating illnesses, and free clinics are free clinics. If everyone could receive treatment for free, then she hasn't reached that point yet.
Seeing that the woman agreed, Miaozhen burned moxa and applied it to the Yifeng and Jianjing acupoints on her right side, one moxa cone each. She then prescribed Lianqiao Decoction plus Erchen Decoction, along with two qian of Atractylodes lancea and one qian of Citrus reticulata peel, for a total of ten doses. She instructed the woman to take the decoction with two cups of water and three slices of ginger. This prescription was used to send the patient away.
Miaozhen also changed out of her outer robe and went into the inner room to rest.
After a while, Xiao Jingshi returned from outside. The two sat down to eat. When he saw that his wife still had to see the patients, he said, "I'm afraid they will pass their illness on to you. What should we do?"
"It's alright. I only see patients in the morning and rest in the afternoon. If it's a serious illness, I'll send them elsewhere." Miaozhen naturally knew that the child in her womb was the most important thing, but she couldn't abandon her old profession.
Xiao Jingshi added, "If you're short of money, just tell me."
Originally worried that she might be upset about money, Miaozhen smiled and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but let me ask you, your family is quite well-off, so even if you don't study, why are you studying so diligently?"
Xiao Jingshi raised an eyebrow: "My father made me study it."
Seeing that he was not playing by common sense, Miaozhen poked his forehead: "Always trying to win against others, talking nonsense."
Xiao Jingshi knew that his hard work in studying wasn't solely for wealth and power, but also to prove he still had ambitions. Seeing Miaozhen tease him like that, he grinned.
In the afternoon, Third Aunt returned to her parents' home. Third Aunt was the one who married into the Cen family. Her husband, Cen Yuan, and several classmates went to Nanjing together, so she moved to the Xiao family's residence.
Madam Ren had Han Yueyao prepare the food and wine, and several of her daughters-in-law accompanied them.
Miaozhen asked at the banquet, "Would you be happy to marry him?"
"Everything is fine, sisters-in-law, please don't worry," Xiao Suyin said.
Before Cen Yuan married into the family, his mother had bought two maids to serve in the study. Xiao Suyin thought they were just there to serve tea and water, but she didn't expect that both of them had been taken in by the family.
Naturally, all of these people had to take contraceptives, and no one knew where the Cen family got them from.
This husband seemed like a good man, very disciplined and respectful. It was as if he was telling her about the contraceptive soup to show that if his legal wife couldn't have children, he wouldn't let anyone else have them. But the more he acted like this, the more uncomfortable Xiao Suyin felt.
She didn't want to tell her family, and she also wanted to save face for herself.
However, when her wet nurse came to Miaozhen to get medicine, she asked Miaozhen, "I wonder what this contraceptive medicine is made of?"
"I've never heard of such a medicine before." Miao Zhen thought to herself that she despised Cen Yuan. If you're so capable, then control your desires. You've taken women, yet you still pretend to be so high and mighty.
Meanwhile, in April, Miaozhen picked some roses from the garden and made six bottles of rose jam. She sent some to various places: one bottle each to the old lady, the first wife, and Madam Ren; another bottle to Xiao Jingshi's study; and two bottles to keep in her own room.
Now, she is preparing to make goji berry paste, as goji berries are good for eyesight and would be perfect for Xiao Jingshi, who is studying.
Wash two pounds of wolfberry roots, fill a pot with water, and boil for a day and a night. Add five pounds of mashed wolfberries and continue to boil for three hours. Finally, filter out the wolfberry residue, squeeze out the concentrated juice, add two pounds of honey, seal it in a small jar, and place it in the room. Take it with warm water every morning.
She also scooped out some of the goji berry paste, put it in a bottle, and had it sent to her father, since he also overused his eyes. The Xu family also sent over some plum sauce made last year, which Miaozhen had been craving, so she specially asked the kitchen staff to braise meat with the plum sauce.
Of course, Feng Niang is an expert at cooking this dish. She has been coming over since the Dragon Boat Festival. Ren Shi knows that Feng Niang is an old member of her family and specially arranged a room for her.
At lunchtime, a dish was brought to the front study, which Xiao Jingshi ate clean.
Lou Qiongyu, who happened to be visiting, also ate half a piece and said, "My family also has braised pork with plum sauce, but it's always soggy. How come it's not as delicious as this?"
Miaozhen smiled and said, "You don't know that my mother has a specialty dish called 'Spring Never Fat,' which everyone makes at home, but our family makes it the best. I'll give you some of it in the future."
Both of them were pregnant and had strange appetites, but the braised pork with plum sauce suited their tastes very well.
Lou Qiongyu then asked, "I wonder if the walnuts I gave my sister-in-law were of any use?"
“Yes, they usually pound it for me with a small hammer,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Lou Qiongyu said, "If not, I'll have my maid make some crispy walnuts. Her crispy walnuts are absolutely superb."
Miaozhen readily agreed.
It is also said that after Lou Qiongyu became pregnant, her mother was afraid that Xiao Jingtang would become lustful and act recklessly, so she made her shave the faces of the people around her. She was naturally conflicted. Xiao Jingtang was kind and easy-going, and she and her husband got along well. How could she let someone else interfere?
She was undecided for a moment, so she talked to Miaozhen about it. Miaozhen said, "It depends on you. Anyway, my husband is studying outside, so I didn't let him go."
In fact, Miaozhen would never let him go. What's strange is that Xiao Jingshi is handsome, but he is not a womanizer. He even dislikes having many people in his family. According to Miaozhen's observation, he is indeed a charming man on the outside, but a loyal man on the inside.
Even if he didn't say it, Miaozhen wouldn't make a fuss over it.
Since Miao Zhen didn't allow concubines to serve her, Lou Qiongyu had a good example to follow; otherwise, she would have become the target of public criticism.
Now, it is the fifteenth of June that is Old Madam Xiao's birthday. Gifts will be sent from all over the place. In previous years, the second wife, Madam Ren, would handle everything. This year, she said to her three daughters-in-law, "Second daughter-in-law, it's fine. You two have just entered the family and are receiving the first birthday gift from the old lady. You should also prepare your own gifts."
Miaozhen and Lou Qiongyu both thought it was acceptable. The Xiao family had sent forty bolts of silk as betrothal gifts, so they could take whatever they wanted. Han Yueyao was already surprised, and after coming out, she looked at Miaozhen and Lou Qiongyu with a considerate expression: "You two have just entered the family, where would you get the money? Why don't you just do a few pieces of needlework?"
"Second sister-in-law, from what Mother just said, it seems like we should send more. Besides, this is a birthday gift, so it's alright. I can still afford it." Miaozhen didn't seem to care.
Lou Qiongyu also said, "Yes, Second Sister-in-law, the old lady has always lived in the main house, so we should prepare a more grand birthday gift for her."
Han Yueyao thought to herself: "You two silly children, you can manage to schedule the old lady's birthday in June, the father-in-law's birthday in July, and the mother-in-law's birthday on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. What am I supposed to do?"
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