Chapter 57 (combined with another chapter)
The Huang family finally gave them one hundred taels of silver, two bolts of bright red brocade, two bolts of velvet, two bolts of Western cloth, two bolts of Western iron-brown cloth, two jars of hibiscus liquor, and twenty catties of fragrant rice.
Many of these were made in the palace. Miaozhen said to Xiao Jingshi, "It seems that many of the Huang family's possessions were given to them by the palace eunuchs."
“That’s for sure. Even this marriage was initiated by the palace eunuch,” Xiao Jingshi said.
Miaozhen said, "Now that the Huang family has recovered, I will first write a visiting card to the Cheng family. If someone accepts it, that's fine; if not, we'll go back."
After she finished speaking, she casually wrote a note and asked Xiaoxi to send it over.
As expected, the Cheng family made an excuse that something had come up, so Miaozhen packed her bags and went back with Xiao Jingshi. She had been very anxious when she came, but she was surprisingly relaxed on the way back. Even the boat was fast, and they arrived in Suzhou in three days.
The people were naturally very close when they met. Chao was the kind of person who especially loved team building activities. You would feel annoyed if you were forced to participate in activities on weekdays, but when someone hosted a welcome party for you, you still felt very valued.
Miaozhen specially bought shoe uppers and makeup powder from Nanjing to give to everyone, saying, "I don't have much time to go out, so please don't mind, sisters-in-law. It's just for the novelty."
"This is a Beijing product, it looks quite nice." Han Yueyao liked it since she had something to get.
Lou Qiongyu, always well-mannered, even inquired about the customs and culture of Nanjing from Miaozhen. Only Xia Xianjie remained silent today. Miaozhen and she had never gotten along well, but lately she had been preoccupied with her own affairs and hadn't paid much attention to her.
After a long separation, everyone had a lot to talk about. Han Yueyao said, "Your aunt's marriage is arranged. She's engaged to a relative of the Chen family next door, the son of Magistrate Chen."
That's not the family that my great-aunt introduced. I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Miaozhen smiled and asked, "How's the man?"
“The man is three years older than Fifth Sister and is still in school. He’s doing very well in life,” Han Yueyao said.
Miaozhen said, "That's good. When I entered the family, my aunt was twelve years old, and now she's almost of marriageable age. Time really flies."
Han Yueyao nodded and said, "That's right. By the way, you should also congratulate your aunt."
"How so?" Miaozhen asked, puzzled.
Han Yueyao then said, "My elder brother has been selected as the Salt Transport Commissioner of Songjiang Prefecture and will be taking up his post soon."
The salt official of Songjiang Prefecture, that's a good job. Miaozhen hurriedly congratulated Chao Shi, but Chao Shi waved her hand and said, "Let me tell you, if you can pass the imperial examination, you should pass it. The imperial examination is like a tiger class, and it will be filled whenever there is a vacancy. Your eldest brother is a Juren, and although he passed the first paper of the exam this time, he is still not an imperial examination graduate."
“It’s already quite an achievement to pass the exam. With your character and conduct, you’re bound to make great strides,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Madam Chao smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words."
Xia Xianjie, who was standing to the side, did not expect that Madam Chao would be so ruthless as to make her stay. She made it sound so high-sounding, saying that as the matriarch and the eldest son's wife, she should stay at home, while Madam Wu was asked to go and serve her.
She cried to Xiao Jingyan, but he dodged the question, telling her to stay and serve her parents.
Xia Xianjie has clearly noticed that Xiao Jingyan is biased because Wu Shi gave birth to a son and then took out another five hundred taels to help her. Now she is pretending not to hear.
All that talk about not daring to disobey your parents is a lie. How could you have defied your parents' wishes to marry me in the first place?
It's simply that he's changed his mind and doesn't want to go through the trouble anymore.
The women quickly dispersed, and Miaozhen, weary from her journey, also went back to rest. Xiao Jingshi then spoke privately with Second Master Xiao about the business trip to Nanjing and his dealings with the Huang family.
"The Huang family only hosted a banquet for us after their son and daughter-in-law recovered from their illness." He highlighted the important details.
Master Xiao was very pleased to hear this: "That's good, that's good. You two have worked hard too."
"Father, what are you saying? It's all what I should do," Xiao Jingshi said.
After exchanging a few words with his father, Xiao Jingshi brought over a jar of hibiscus liquor and two bolts of cloth: "These are from my son and daughter-in-law, who asked my son to give them to you and my mother. They said these are all made in the palace, so please don't find them offensive."
No matter who it is, everyone is happy to receive a gift, and Master Xiao was no exception.
Furthermore, after Miaozhen returned and rested for a day, she planned to invite her mother to visit. Unexpectedly, a patient came to her door. Coincidentally, the sores she had been studying for a long time were the very disease this person was suffering from. She had a carbuncle on her back, which was bright red in color, and a lump on her neck that was not painful to the touch, but it was already the initial symptoms of scrofula.
"Besides your back, where else does it hurt?" Miaozhen asked.
The woman pointed to her head and said, "My head hurts, my eyes hurt, and I can't see clearly anymore."
Miaozhen prescribed the Qianjin Loulu Decoction from the "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine" and told her, "Take four qian of the medicinal powder each time, add two cups of water and decoct until one cup remains. Take it hot on an empty stomach."
The woman thanked him profusely, saying, "Dr. Xu, you have no idea how much we missed you after you left. We've been sick for so long."
Miaozhen smiled and said, "It is my honor that you remember me."
The woman brought five qian (a unit of weight) for the medicine. Miaozhen accepted it and thought about how the successful treatment of the Huang family this time might not be possible in the future. But in any case, it was better than before.
After the Mei couple arrived, Miaozhen told them about her encounter with Miaoyun on the way, but Xu Erpeng said, "This is not good."
"What's wrong?" Miaozhen asked, puzzled.
Xu Erpeng said, "Your third uncle's business in Suzhou Prefecture is failing, so he's going to Huating to do business. Although one of them is just a small vendor and the other is the wife of a county magistrate, they usually won't run into each other, but if they do, who knows what will happen?"
Miaozhen laughed and said, "I think she's very open and easygoing, there's nothing wrong with that."
Xu Erpeng waved his hand: "That's because I ran into you. You're usually not one to talk back. Is your third aunt that kind of person?"
Standing to the side, Madam Mei said, "I think it's very unlikely that we'll run into each other. And even if we did, what could we do? Her third uncle and aunt are timid and wouldn't dare to act recklessly."
Xu Erpeng also felt relieved: "Yes, I was overthinking it."
Miaozhen wasn't worried about her third uncle and aunt, because those two were actually quite timid. However, she said, "Big sister is really amazing. She has such a grand presence, and she's different from before."
Xu Erpeng retorted, "I think it's just another Xu Yiming. You just wait and see."
In Xu Erpeng's view, it was strange that the daughters of the three brothers all followed in their fathers' footsteps. For example, Miaozhen, like himself, was hardworking, had some talent, and some luck, but she couldn't compare to those who were truly blessed. She was probably someone who would accumulate knowledge and experience before making a breakthrough. As for the third daughter, Miaolian, she was not very responsible, neither bad enough nor good enough, just like her third brother. The eldest daughter was probably just like her brother.
Miaozhen only confided in her parents: "Sometimes I feel like I'm not very lucky, but then I think, people say that there is a sequence to learning the Way, and I wonder if there is also a sequence to success? I still need to keep working hard."
Xu Erpeng had to step in and say to his daughter, "It's human nature to want more after getting what you want, but to be honest, most of their success is still tied to their husbands, while yours is tied to yourself. I used to envy those who became officials, but later I realized that I still prefer writing stories and have fewer mundane affairs. I don't have the ability to become an official, and I'm doing just fine now. Just like you, so what if you never get into the palace? At least you're a famous doctor in Suzhou and Nanjing."
In short, it's about having a calm and balanced mindset.
Miaozhen nodded: "Daughter understands."
Xu Erpeng pointed to the study outside: "There are some things we shouldn't tell our son-in-law. It's not that keeping things from him is bad, but sometimes honesty isn't necessarily a good thing. Even the closest of relatives can be distant like husband and wife."
Miaozhen understood this principle, of course, and said, "Okay."
After saying that, Miaozhen gave some of the gifts she had bought in Nanjing to her parents: two gold fans, six pairs of shoe uppers, and two boxes of pastries.
Regardless of how her parents' reunion with her went, they soon held a farewell party for Xiao Jingyan, the eldest son of the family, and everyone went to the eldest son's house again. It took several days for life to return to normal.
Unexpectedly, Lou Qiongyu became pregnant again, which made her very distressed: "I was not feeling well when I gave birth to Miao Ge'er last time, and I didn't expect to become pregnant so soon."
Miaozhen recalled when she was pregnant with twins, and in the later stages of pregnancy, she didn't even want to look at her belly, finding it terrifying. She said with some sympathy, "Now that you're pregnant, take good care of yourself. If you feel unwell anywhere, just come to me."
Lou Qiongyu smiled and said, "I thank you in advance, Fourth Sister-in-law."
“Look at what you’re saying, we’re all family, why are you distinguishing between you and me?” Miaozhen said.
Lou Qiongyu noticed that the maids were taking their time getting the fruit and snacks, and couldn't help but complain to Miaozhen, "It's true, whenever I ask them to do something, they drag their feet, but if Sixth Master orders them around, they run faster than anything else."
"It's nothing unusual." Miaozhen echoed her words. Actually, things were fine in her room now, because Xiao Jingshi hardly spoke to the maids unless he was giving them orders.
Furthermore, she herself practically controlled all the household affairs in the fourth household, so the maids didn't dare to cause trouble.
In fact, the relationship between the male and female heads of a household is quite delicate. The servants are the barometer, and they mostly try to please the male head of the household, so the female head of the household's status is generally not as high as before.
As soon as Miaozhen left, Mrs. Lou came over, complaining, "Ever since your father retired, those people who used to be all sweet talkers, coming to my house three times a day, now when I ask them for help, they make excuses that they have other things to do."
Since the registrar of the Lou family retired, there are no more mountains of gift boxes at home. Although Brother Lou still works in the household affairs department, it is Sister-in-law Lou who is in charge now, and Mrs. Lou is no longer so privileged.
So she advised Lou Qiongyu: "If a person loses power, he is like a tiger without teeth. You should talk to your son-in-law more about studying hard, otherwise you will be the last among your brothers."
"I've tried to persuade him of this before. He said he wanted to study, but he only worked hard for a few months before reverting to his old ways." Lou Qiongyu felt sorry for his misfortune and angry at his lack of ambition.
Mrs. Lou taught her many techniques for managing her husband, and Lou Qiongyu listened to quite a bit of them.
On the other side, Xiao Jingshi spoke of Xiao Jingtang and said to Miaozhen, "He was born to enjoy a life of luxury and disliked the hardship of studying."
“What is there to worry about if he was born into a family like yours?” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi looked at his wife with some interest and said, "Then let me ask you, what if I'm not good at learning either?"
"Then you have to do something well, like my father. He didn't continue his studies after passing the imperial examination, but he managed the family business very well. That's good too. Besides, even if you don't pass the exam, you still have me. If I really become a famous doctor like my master one day and can go in and out of the palace, our family will definitely be able to make a living." Miaozhen usually didn't encourage others, only herself.
This answer was somewhat unexpected and amusing to Xiao Jingshi. He joked, "That's fine too. If I fail the exam, I can comfortably stay at home and live off my wife."
Miaozhen retorted angrily, "The hibiscus liquid you drank yesterday was mine."
"Then I'll have to drink a few more sips."
The two burst into laughter.
Miaozhen got up and went to Chao's place. She heard that Xiao Jingyan's son, Yuan Ge'er, hadn't slept well all night and had been crying incessantly, even while nursing, he kept hiccuping.
She looked at the child for a while and saw that he had phlegm and heat accumulating in his throat. She then prescribed a sedative and said, "He is too young. He should eat a little each time and take it with mint soup."
Madam Chao said, "It's good to have a doctor in the family; we all benefit from it."
"Aunt, are you praising me or my brother?" Miaozhen asked with a smile.
Chao couldn't help but say, "I praise you."
Miaozhen quite enjoyed talking with Madam Chao. She was a decisive and efficient woman, and although she was sometimes a bit too fond of team building activities, she was very generous. The two sat and talked for quite a while. Then, Miaozhen came out of the main room and met Sister Xia Xian.
Xia Xianjie seemed to have just returned from outside. She looked very gentle, which puzzled Miaozhen.
To be precise, Xia Xian is currently in hiding. There's nothing she can do; ever since Xiao Jingyan left, she's been forced to stay in the backyard. Madam Chao won't even let her go out, treating her like a prisoner.
Her previous methods were no longer effective, and even Linglong was sent away, leaving her isolated and helpless.
Previously, seeing that her son had feelings for her, Madam Chao didn't want to interfere, fearing it would cause a rift between them. Now that her son had left, she naturally had a thousand ways to get involved.
How could Miao Zhen let Xia Xianjie off so easily? Back then, she was heavily pregnant when she was falsely accused. If Xiao Jingshi had truly abandoned her as husband and wife, it would have been tantamount to putting her to death.
She was pregnant at first, or her child was too young, and she needed to develop her career. Now that she has free time, how could we let her relax and enjoy herself?
Because the Ghost Festival is next month, Miaozhen will be holding a free clinic at the end of this month, while Xiao Jingshi will stay home to take care of the children. Ren Shi is not at home because she is going to Hangzhou to visit her sister-in-law, so Miaozhen strongly invites Chao Shi and Xia Xianjie to come along. This time, they will go to the Lotus Nunnery.
Miao Zhen was indeed going to provide free medical services, and naturally prepared as usual. However, she asked Xiao Xi, "Is that nun Cui from the Lotus Nunnery really a prostitute?"
Xiao Xi said, "I found out very clearly that she was a former prostitute who became a nun. She is clever, quick-witted, and eloquent."
"Alright, did you tell Xia about her net worth?" Miaozhen asked.
Xiao Xi nodded: "Don't worry, I've already told you."
Miao Zhen snorted coldly: "It is said that this nun Cui has many ways to make a woman more and more evil if she sees her as evil, but she will also become serious if she sees her as sincere. She knows that Xia is rich, so she must have some flattery skills. If Xia herself is upright, I will consider her to have changed her ways. If she herself is not upright, then she has brought this upon herself."
Xiao Xi thinks that her master is skillful yet not despicable, which is truly admirable.
Those who serve others fear most those petty, demanding, and weak masters.
Meanwhile, Madam Chao and Sister Xia accompanied Miaozhen to the Lotus Nunnery. The nun Cui was very hospitable and said to Miaozhen, "We have already made the arrangements as instructed by Madam."
"Thank you very much," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Cui Gu Zi glanced at the young wives of the Xiao family. The eldest wife, Xia Shi, was indeed beautiful, with a pair of peach blossom eyes that looked rather restless. The second wife was even more beautiful, but she was taciturn and dignified. The fourth wife, Xu Shi, was not as beautiful as the first two wives, but she had a fair complexion, skin like cream, bright almond eyes, and was capable in her actions.
Regardless of how attentive and careful she was to Sister Xia Xian, catering to her preferences, Miao Zhen had already begun to lay the groundwork here.
The first person to arrive had scrofula on her neck, especially under her armpits, with very hard, swollen nodules. Miaozhen then gave her some amber ointment wrapped in paper.
There aren't many people living near the Lotus Nunnery, so there aren't many visitors either, only about a dozen in total. But Sister Cui is very good at cooking; her milk cakes, vegetarian dishes, and tea are all delicious.
Since Linglong wasn't around, Xia Xianjie had met a kindred spirit named Cui Gu Zi, with whom she could talk about anything. She'd also heard that Cui Gu Zi had a method for conceiving a child, so after returning home, Xia Xianjie frequently invited Cui Gu Zi over. Cui Gu Zi acted very formally in front of Madam Chao. Madam Chao also wanted to send Linglong away; now she was alone, and besides, she couldn't cause much trouble at home.
It was precisely because of this that Sister Xia and Sister Cui frequently visited each other. At first, Sister Cui really talked about Buddhist scriptures, but gradually she said, "Although I am a nun, I also know that in the secular world, a woman without children will definitely have to rely on others in the future. Moreover, I have calculated that young man's birth chart, and it seems that there is some incompatibility between them."
Xia Xianjie didn't believe in these things at first, but Cui Gu Zi said something that struck a chord with her. She said there was a woman who was also living alone while her husband went to prostitutes. She wondered why men could have several women while women had to suffer. That night she had a dream in which her husband drove her to live in a house in the countryside when she was old. When she woke up, she simply let go of the dream.
Sister Cui added, "It's quite a coincidence that because of her actions, the man suddenly fell ill and died, while she gave birth to a boy. Later, she received a memorial arch for her chastity, and her son became the top scholar in the imperial examination..."
Xia Xianjie thought to herself that Xiao Jingyan was embracing women on both sides, was heartless and ungrateful to her, and was also cruel. Why should she stay with him?
...
As July began to get hot, Miaozhen became too lazy to go out, so she stayed home and played with her two children in the yard. It's amazing how quickly children grow; back in Nanjing, they were still walking unsteadily, but now they are both very steady.
"Mother, I want to climb the tree," said Sister Fu, pointing to the trees outside the door.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "You can wait until you grow up. You're too young now."
"Then I want Mommy to hold me." Fu Jie'er clung to Miao Zhen.
Miaozhen picked her up and said, "Okay, I'll carry you out to pick green plums."
Before she knew it, she had started making sauce with the children, just like her mother had done with her years ago. They used bamboo poles to knock down a lot of green plums.
First, wash the green plums clean and soak them in salt water overnight. Remove the fuzz and stems from the plums, then pick out the ripe ones. Simmer the green plums over medium-low heat until they turn yellow. Then, remove them and strain them. Add an equal amount of rock sugar and simmer until they become sticky and can be clumped on a spatula. Then, put them in a jar.
Xiao Tao sent over a lot of apricots, saying they were from the estate, and Miao Zhen also made apricot jam.
The method for making apricot jam is different from that for plum jam. First, wash and pit the apricots, then add sugar and marinate for two hours. Then, simmer over low heat until the apricots are soft and mushy before putting them into jars.
Whenever she was this busy, she would call her two children over, sit on small stools, and teach them to recite poems while helping them.
In ancient times, plum sauce was considered a drink for royalty. Whether in the countryside or the city, almost everyone loved to eat it, especially Miaozhen's homemade plum sauce, which was even thicker and tastier.
Plum sauce is excellent for braising pork belly, roast duck, or diluting water.
Especially Feng Niang's braised pork with plum sauce, you could eat it for three days straight without getting tired of it. However, what impressed her the most was the exquisite Suzhou boat snacks. Xiao Jingshi's family had a chef who specialized in making pastries, and the various delicate and translucent little ducks and goldfish were all lifelike.
Miaozhen then told Fengniang that she also wanted to learn how to make boat snacks, saying, "I would be happy if I could learn two or three things."
Feng Niang laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that?"
"You really can find someone to teach me? If she agrees, I'll send her a bolt of satin," Miaozhen said with a smile.
But finding a good boat chef is not easy. The one introduced by Feng Niang taught for a day, but Miao Zhen felt that he was not good enough and did not suit her taste. In the end, it was a cook from Songhe Restaurant recommended by Mrs. Yao who came over. Miao Zhen learned from her for a few days and felt that this chef was good, so she decided to hire him.
Miaozhen is most interested in foods like Suzhou boat snacks, which have a high aesthetic appeal.
Just over a month after she started studying, Xiao Xijiu came from outside and said, "Fourth Grandmother, that Xia Shi is using the guise of spiritual cultivation to have an affair with a strong and healthy man at the Lotus Nunnery."
Miaozhen wiped her hands with a handkerchief: "I didn't expect her to be so bold. I thought she would at most buy a few scrolls of scriptures to spend some money. We can't let this go unpunished. Give five taels of silver to that inform nun and tell her to tell the lady next door."
Xia Xianjie abstained from meat for two months, using the pretext of praying for her deceased father to indulge in debauchery in the nunnery. With the nun Cui keeping watch, she was extremely happy and enjoyed herself to the fullest.
Unexpectedly, a maidservant from Madam Chao's side sent her a message. She was startled and hurriedly got up. The man who was on top of her also jumped out of the window and ran away. She hurriedly closed the window and tidied her hair.
Although she escaped this time, Madam Chao had already become suspicious and was even more distrustful of her. She would have to live a life of utmost caution from now on, which was a real pity.
Xiao Xi came over and said, "Damn it, she got away."
"That's enough. She's spreading rumors about me, and I've already set a trap for her. Let's stop here. If she tries anything again, I won't let her off the hook," Miaozhen said calmly.
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