Chapter 65 (combined with another chapter)
"How was the free clinic?" Xiao Jingshi asked as he rode slowly to Miaozhen's carriage.
Miaozhen lifted the curtain and looked at him, saying, "About a hundred people came on the first day, and we didn't finish seeing them until the next day. But because of this, I feel that I have gained some new insights into the symptoms."
Xiao Jingshi smiled and said, "You'll always be so open-minded."
"I haven't even said anything to you yet! You just leave the two kids at home like that? How can you bear to do that? Don't come over next time. One of us has to stay home eventually," Miaozhen said reproachfully.
Xiao Jingshi tugged on the reins and looked at her, saying, "Yes, ma'am."
When she got home, Miaozhen called the children over, looked them over, and seeing that they were all alright, she breathed a sigh of relief: "From now on, Mother won't stay out overnight anymore, okay?"
Zhao Ge'er sat in Miao Zhen's arms, still like a little kitten: "I miss my mother so much."
"Mother, my brother is lying! We all know you went out to treat patients and save lives. We were just playing house at home, and he was having so much fun!" Fu'er tugged at Miaozhen's sleeve to complain.
Miaozhen immediately praised her daughter: "It's good that you're having fun. Our Fu'er is a really good older sister, even playing with her younger brother."
The children's innocent chatter lifted Miaozhen's spirits considerably. She then asked Xiaoxi to go to the Cheng family to inquire whether they had found a doctor. If not, she would simply go there herself to avoid having to make another house call.
A little while later, Xiao Xi returned and said she was waiting for her, so Miao Zhen had no choice but to take her medicine box and go over. Unexpectedly, she had to wait for half an hour before she finally saw Madam Ji.
"There were too many people at the free clinic yesterday, and we didn't finish. We have to continue the free clinic this morning, so I could only come in the afternoon. Please don't mind. Is the young master alright?" Miao Zhen knew perfectly well that this half-hour was a way of putting her in a difficult position.
Madam Ji smiled and said, "It's nothing, but I've delayed your business."
Miaozhen said, "As long as it's not a pre-arranged date, I will definitely come if I can."
Madam Ji twitched her lips, then had someone bring her son over. Looking at Miaozhen, she said, "Do you think we should prescribe some medicine to help him recover? It would be best if he could look more energetic."
After taking his pulse, Ke Miaozhen said, "The boy's infantile convulsions from last time have already healed. I see that he is just a little weak, but there is nothing wrong with him. As the saying goes, medicine has three parts poison. It is better to eat well, get some sun, and go out for walks more often than to take medicine."
Seeing that she refused to prescribe medicine, Madam Ji couldn't help but ask, "I heard that you gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. How are they usually?"
“She was smaller than other babies when she was born, but now she’s about the same size as other children her age. My daughter is even a bit taller. Anyway, she’s not a picky eater. She eats eggs, meat, and milk every day and rarely gets sick.” Miaozhen spoke from the bottom of her heart.
According to Cheng's youngest son's age, he is already seven years old and should be in school, yet he is still so frail. Not to mention anything else, he can't even support his studies.
She had seen several people who were very persistent, some were a bit overweight like her father, and others were as burly as Xiao Jingshi. Some were thin and weak, and some even came out of the examination hall with a serious illness, some even life-threatening.
For a family like the Cheng family, which has a long tradition of passing the imperial examinations, their children will definitely pursue official careers in the future, so poor health is a major concern.
But that was all Miaozhen could say. Seeing that she wouldn't prescribe medicine, Madam Ji went to find another doctor and kept ignoring Miaozhen, saying that when Xiao Jingshi finished his treatment, she would naturally have to ask the Cheng family for help.
After all, the Cheng family and Prime Minister Xia were once related by marriage.
Cheng Shu was naturally pleased to see this.
If Xu Miaozhen were to gain favor with the Ji family again, and with the Ji family's intervention, Xiao Jingshi might actually be able to stay in the capital.
Miaozhen didn't feel anything either, because a month later, the wife of the former head of the Ministry of Works came to her and said that she had fully recovered. She also specially sent a bolt of Hangzhou silk and two taels of silver.
Her reputation naturally spread, and even people from Tianjin came specifically to see her for treatment. One couple from Tianjin came specifically to see her for infertility.
His wife, who was around thirty-seven years old, was saying to Miaozhen, "Doctor Xu, it's like this, I was pregnant a few years ago, but unfortunately I miscarried, and I haven't been able to conceive for several years since."
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere right now? Is your menstrual cycle normal?" Miaozhen asked.
The wife said, "I don't know what's wrong, but for the past six months, it feels like something is wrapped around my waist and abdomen. My lower abdomen is always very tight, even without a belt."
"Are there any other symptoms?" Miaozhen continued to ask.
The person said she felt dizzy and tired, and sometimes had chest tightness. Miaozhen then took her pulse and saw that it was wiry and slow. She also noticed that her tongue was large and had a white, greasy coating. She already had a good idea of what was going on.
"Do you usually eat very little? How are your bowel movements?" she continued.
Sure enough, the wife said, "She gets full after eating only a little bit, and her stool is also unformed."
"It seems the problem stems from a deficiency of Qi in the spleen and stomach. This deficiency can cause blockage of the essence in the waist and navel. Because the meridians in the waist and navel are blocked, the belt meridian becomes constricted. Once the belt meridian is constricted, even if the essence enters the uterus, it cannot be retained. In that case, even if you become pregnant, you may miscarry. Therefore, I will prescribe some medicine to ease the belt meridian. You should take it for about a month, and you should be fine after a month," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Of course, she booked a broadband subscription for them, personally ordering a month's supply. She told them to stay in the capital for a month, and if they recovered, they could go back; if not, they could come back to her.
The couple held the medicine as if it were a treasure. They were in the leather business and gave Miaozhen six sheepskins, two bolts of silk, a bag of dried shrimp, six preserved ducks, ten strings of preserved meat, and a fresh sheep carcass as a gift.
Miaozhen currently has three sources of income: income from her family's shop, income from her land, and income from her medical practice. The latter is the most profitable. Although she currently manages Xiao Jingshi's private treasury, she still has the mindset of a modern woman and needs to earn money herself. Therefore, her income is actually quite substantial, currently around fifty taels a month.
Regardless, she still enjoyed the feeling of making money, and she was quite satisfied with putting away all the items today.
For dinner, I prepared braised mutton, shrimp and egg custard, three plates of tea snacks, two plates of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, two pan-fried fresh fish, lotus seed soup, pickled melon and eggplant, and two plates of fruit.
The family of four sat around the table eating, each sharing their experiences: "Today, people from Tianjin actually came to me for medical treatment. I was quite surprised when I saw the post."
Xiao Jingshi took a bite of mutton, then a sip of wine, and said, "You don't know how famous you are. Last time, one of my colleagues from the Hanlin Academy even asked if he could see you for treatment. I laughed at him. I told him that my wife is a gynecologist, and what would a grown man like you do for her?"
Miaozhen laughed and couldn't help but ask, "Is your workload heavy now?"
"Sigh, there are few people in the Hanlin Academy who are vying for fame and fortune, but Scholar Xu and Lu Shi'an are brothers-in-law, which makes me a little uncomfortable." Xiao Jingshi still mentions things to Miaozhen whenever he has something to say.
Miaozhen offered a different perspective: "If you ask me, Lu Shi'an probably dislikes you even more. He's a man who's cunning and vindictive, and he'd love to squeeze you out of the Hanlin Academy. If you just prepare well for your studies, you can go to a good place even if you don't stay in the Hanlin Academy. Why go along with his wishes? If you don't study hard, he'll have even more leverage over you."
“That’s true, but places like the Hanlin Academy rely on seniority. I think Lu Shi’an is impatient and might not be able to endure it.” Xiao Jingshi’s frustration dissipated considerably after hearing Miaozhen’s words. He was usually quite good at judging people and pointed out Lu Shi’an’s predicament without hesitation.
"Let's wait and see. You're still young, what are you afraid of?"
After the meal, Miaozhen brought up the matter of starting the children's education again: "If you plan to start their education early, you can find a tutor first and let the two siblings study together, and then separate them when they are older."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingshi took it to heart. Before he knew it, the two young boys and girls had become worried parents.
When it came to political matters, Miaozhen mostly offered comfort to Xiao Jingshi, just as Xiao Jingshi could only offer comfort to her when she treated patients.
After the two had bathed, Miaozhen said, "Tomorrow we're going to the third house to celebrate Aunt's birthday. How about we take a piece of the leather that someone gave us today, along with two bolts of silk and a load of longevity noodles?"
"You can arrange all of these as you see fit," Xiao Jingshi said, unconcerned.
The next day, Miaozhen changed into a gauze dress, a silver-red cotton vest, and a green trailing skirt. She also helped the two children change into new clothes, and the three of them went to the third room first.
Many of Xiao San's family members also came. It's true that fortunes change every thirty years. This third wife, Madam Rao, was originally the daughter of a Grand Secretary and had a lot of confidence. However, her brother was only a hereditary official, and now the Xiao family is not as powerful as her.
Thinking about it, I'm the same. I was just a little girl living in a rice shop in Fengqiao, and now I'm the wife of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
Although Gao was pregnant, she still had to manage the household affairs. Miaozhen came over and said, "Third sister-in-law, let me help you."
"It's good that you came." Gao said, supporting her lower back, which was clearly a little sore.
Miaozhen had just offered to help when Liu and Bian came over. They both insisted on helping, and Miaozhen couldn't very well compete with them, since they were the legitimate daughters-in-law of the third branch of the family.
She went to sit under the covered shed behind the second gate to cool off. Madam Gao asked her concubine to come and talk to her. Although she was a concubine, she was treated like a head maid and was called Miss Qiu.
Seeing that Miaozhen was kind and approachable, Qiu said, "Fourth Grandmother, could you also take a look at my illness? I don't know why, but I'm always feeling unwell."
“Alright, let me take your pulse first.” Miaozhen placed her hand on her pulse, pressing down hard to feel it. After a while, she said, “Your pulse is deep, slow, thin, and tight, indicating that there must be cold evil in your body.”
Qiu said, "Fourth Grandmother, you don't know that I have a lot of blood clots during my period every month, and my lower abdomen hurts so much that I roll around on the kang (a heated brick bed)."
Miaozhen then asked her in detail when it started. Qiu hesitated and said, "If you can't tell me the truth, I can't verify it."
"Then forget it. Fourth Grandmother, I need to relieve myself. Excuse me." Miss Qiu hurriedly left.
Miaozhen and Xiaoxi exchanged a glance, neither of them knowing why.
After sitting there for a while, Gao sent someone to invite her to the front. Miaozhen went over and saw that Liu and Bian were already talking to the relatives and friends of the third branch. She found a seat and sat down. She could feel that as her status rose, Gao of the third branch was alright, but the other two sisters-in-law were subtly ostracizing her.
But Miaozhen didn't care about any of that. Sometimes when you're in a high position, there's no need to compete for people's favor.
Although the man and woman were not together, Xiao Jingshi somehow knew about these things and said to Miaozhen, "I think they deliberately joined forces to exclude you and isolate you. Why are they deliberately bringing up your background?"
"Of course I know. They deliberately talked about what officials their fathers were in front of their relatives, but doesn't that show that I'm more powerful? They are all daughters of officials in the capital, while I am just the daughter of a student in the Imperial Academy. I don't have any relatives with connections, but so what? I am better off than them, both myself and my family. Doesn't that mean I'm more awesome than them?" Miaozhen spread her hands, not angry at all.
Xiao Jingshi admired Miaozhen's unyielding and humble nature, because he himself shared this personality. Seeing that Miaozhen remained calm, he said, "You're right."
"Besides, I only see them a few times a year, so what's there to be angry about? I'm afraid that as long as I rise in rank, she'll be even more upset," Miaozhen said with a smile.
As the saying goes, "to kill someone is to destroy their spirit," and this is exactly what it means. Sometimes, when you lower yourself to argue, you end up treating her as an opponent.
This also made Miaozhen realize that she needed to broaden her social circle and network, and couldn't always think that the third branch of the family were relatives and just go down that path.
Sometimes when things aren't going well inside, you can expand outwards.
Previously, she only focused on her medical skills, but now she realizes that personnel matters are also very important, and she cannot afford to be complacent.
However, Miaozhen became pregnant at this time. She stopped trying to avoid pregnancy this year, since her two children were already four years old and would be starting school next year.
Xiao Jingshi was also very happy to hear the news. A family like his would definitely want many children so that if one of them failed in his studies, the other could still bring honor to the family.
But looking at Miaozhen's belly, he wondered, "Is this a twin pregnancy?"
"No, I've already checked her pulse." Miaozhen couldn't bear the pain of carrying twins either.
Xiao Jingshi looked at her and said, "You are a doctor yourself, you know more than I do. I will only say one thing: take good care of your pregnancy."
"Don't worry," Miaozhen said with a smile.
However, he added, "Tomorrow is my day off. I plan to go hiking nearby and may not be back for a whole day, so you don't need to wait for me."
Xiao Jingshi is a rather adventurous person. Last year when they went mountain climbing, Miaozhen, who doesn't usually think mountains are high, was trembling with fear of heights while standing there, but Xiao Jingshi was calm and composed.
He did it on a whim, and it was not appropriate for me to stop him.
A month or so later, the couple from Tianjin came back, saying that the tightness in their lower abdomen had disappeared, and they brought over another six taels of silver for consultation and medicine.
Miaozhen was already pregnant when she announced the news. Soon after, Madam Gao sent Miss Qiu to deliver the gift. Last time, Miss Qiu left after saying only half a sentence, so Miaozhen didn't ask her this time. She just told her, "Please go back and tell your grandmother that I understand her feelings and that she should take good care of herself during her pregnancy."
Miss Qiu hesitated for a moment, but in the end she stood in front of Miaozhen and said, "Fourth Grandmother, I'm in so much pain this month that I'm rolling around in agony. It's very uncomfortable."
“You have to tell me the reason, otherwise the medicine I prescribe for you now will only cure your illness temporarily. To be honest, when I took your pulse last time, your symptoms didn’t seem to have appeared overnight,” Miaozhen said.
If the diagnosis is inaccurate, the prescription may be wrong. But at Miaozhen's level, she cannot afford to make a mistake.
Miss Qiu still refused to speak, only saying, "Please prescribe the medicine for me."
"I don't even understand your symptoms, how can I prescribe medicine?" Miaozhen refused.
After hesitating for a moment, Qiu left. As she walked out, she clutched her stomach, but turned back and sat down, saying, "Fourth Grandmother, to tell you the truth, I was in so much pain because I took a contraceptive."
"Contraceptive? What kind did you drink?" Miaozhen asked.
Autumn Girl was clearly prepared. She took out the dregs of the medicine from her sleeve and gave them to Miaozhen. Miaozhen was also pregnant. She first used chopsticks to take a look and saw that it contained several herbs, including Angelica sinensis, black morning glory, pangolin scales, green tangerine peel, bitter orange peel, musk, Aristolochia debilis, snow fungus, and plantain.
These are all abortion pills, and they can be dangerous even for women of childbearing age. They are not entirely for preventing pregnancy, especially since they contain musk, which can cause bleeding if consumed in excess.
But she knew that if she spoke out, she would definitely offend Madam Gao, who was the person in the third branch of the family with whom she had the best relationship.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ke Miaozhen said, "If you want to keep your life, you shouldn't eat these things. Right now you're only eating blood, but in the future it may endanger your life. This is no joke."
Autumn Girl looked at Miaozhen: "It really is this. I originally thought that eating this would only prevent pregnancy."
"Not being pregnant is one thing, but it will have a significant impact on your health and even shorten your lifespan," Miaozhen sighed.
Autumn Girl replied, "But what can I do? I am her head maid and also her concubine. There's no way I can escape her."
"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Your lifespan has already been affected, so why worry about this? Here's what I'll do: I'll prescribe some medicine for you today. Take it home and take it, and then we'll think of a solution later." This was all Miaozhen could do to help.
Miss Qiu wanted to pay for the consultation, but Miaozhen waved her hand and said, "I don't care about those few coins. Take it back and eat it properly. Don't eat that thing."
However, Miaozhen also instructed her: "I have told you about this, but if you betray me to please your master, I will not accept it."
Autumn Maiden swore to the heavens, but Miaozhen waved her hand and said, "Go back, it'll be too long and your grandmother will become suspicious."
Meanwhile, Qiu was brewing and taking Miaozhen's medicine, but the medicine wasn't very effective and didn't work quickly. The more she thought about it, the sadder she felt. She had originally thought that after her grandmother had another son, she might be able to stop her from taking the contraceptive medicine. She could wait.
But her body is getting more and more uncomfortable. How can she get pregnant with such a bad body? Even if she does get pregnant, she will probably miscarry, or she might not even live to have a miscarriage.
Her parents were still servants of the Gao family, how could they possibly rebel? She couldn't abandon her parents, and besides, where could a weak woman like her run off to?
It's a dead end.
But is it really a dead end? Qiu didn't think so. Even ants can survive, let alone herself. She took the medicine and slowly analyzed Gao Shi. Gao Shi was getting married at an older age and cared a lot about what others said about her virtue. So she could use this to cause trouble.
Qiu was always very honest and obedient, but now she has started to drop a handkerchief and have it picked up by a servant, or flirt with someone. Gao Shi, being the person she was, naturally noticed, but she kept quiet for the time being.
Then Qiu deliberately flirted with Third Madam Rao in this way, and was caught by Third Madam. She gave Gao a good scolding, and Gao called her over, but she denied it.
Gao thought to herself that Qiuyue had become wild and changed a lot. If she were left here, she would only cause trouble. She had heard from her fifth sister-in-law, Liu, that Qiuyue was very unruly in their courtyard and that the family would be in chaos.
"I originally thought highly of you, but I didn't expect you to be so despicable, making me lose face. From now on, you can leave on your own, and we can all part ways amicably." Madam Gao dismissed her directly.
When Qiuyue left, she took two boxes with her. Fortunately, Madam Gao was not an unreasonable person. She probably resented her childhood maid for betraying her. But she didn't blame Madam Gao, because the recipe was passed down from the Gao family. They just thought that the recipe could guarantee that the legitimate son would be born first.
What's most hateful are those men who, after sleeping with women, then look down on them for being of low status.
When Qiuyue came out of the third house, her parents kept scolding her for losing her status as a prospective concubine, but she knew that this flowery place could be deadly.
Miaozhen had been keeping an eye on the movements of the third branch of the family. When she found out that Qiuyue was with her parents in the outskirts of the capital, she asked her to take twenty taels of silver to them: "This is a lifesaver, not a cure-all. Let them start a small business with this money."
Xiao Xi asked in confusion, "Grandma, why are you so worried about people from the past? It wouldn't be good if Third Grandma found out."
“People share the same feelings, and the same principles apply to all.” Miaozhen shook her head, unwilling to say more.
But Gao was a shrewd woman. Although she was careless for a moment, especially after displeasing her mother-in-law, she hurriedly chased the person away. But after the person left, she asked around and found out that Qiuyue had changed since she came back from Miaozhen's place. She also said that after Qiuyue got medicine from her, she was not taking contraceptive medicine as frequently.
Madam Gao frowned: "I have no grudge against Madam Xu, so why would she instigate my concubine?"
"That's because she's jealous of your higher status. Look at her, she's the wife of a scholar who passed the imperial examination, and she's wearing a dragon robe, unlike the crown prince." The servant could only manage to utter this sentence after a long pause.
Ms. Gao shook her head: "I just feel like there's no reason for it."
She still harbored suspicions towards Miaozhen.
Miaozhen didn't have much time to manage the three households anymore, because the Empress had been burned to death. It was said that the Emperor had repeatedly tried to save Empress Fang, but the ministers had stopped him. There were even rumors that Empress Fang had unjustly executed the favored concubine Cao Duanfei when the Emperor was in a coma, and now the Emperor was seeking revenge.
Of course, it was truly a blessing that Consort Wang, with whom she had a good relationship, took charge of the six palaces and became the woman with the highest status in the palace.
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