Chapter 69 (Combined Chapter 69)
After returning from her free clinic, Miaozhen first took a bath and washed herself to wash away her fatigue. When she came out to dry her hair, she couldn't help but sneeze because the room was too warm.
“Zhenzhen, don’t do any more free clinics this year. You see so many people every time, it must be exhausting. The weather is too cold now, and the roads will be open by then,” Xiao Jingshi said.
Miaozhen readily agreed: "Yes, I agree with what you said. It's not worth getting yourself sick."
Seeing Miaozhen's expression, Xiao Jingshi asked her, "Are you on good terms with the family next door?"
He disliked Zhang Shi. The consequences of such a good deed as saving someone made him wary of people like Zhang Shi, who was too stubborn. Miao Zhen would not get along with such a person.
“Next door? No, not really. When I first arrived, my sixth sister-in-law kept saying that it was important to maintain good neighborly relations, so she sent some things over, and they reciprocated by inviting me to dinner, so I went over for a meal. After that, we haven’t seen each other much. I’ve been busy, haven’t I? Sometimes I’m too lazy to go.” Miaozhen always felt that sometimes when something went wrong, she had to bear it herself, so she spent most of her energy on improving her medical skills and educating her children.
She had her own set of rules for social interactions. Xiao Jingshi's official position was something he had to pave himself up, while she was responsible for maintaining her medical skills and connections. If one path didn't work, she could always try another.
The officialdom is ever-changing, and what has become of the Cheng family, a powerful force in Jinling? A few days ago, she received a letter from Wei Wan, who said that it was fortunate that she and her husband had established their own household a few years ago, otherwise they would have been implicated this time as well.
So she didn't have much contact with the neighbors next door.
Xiao Jingshi said, "That's right. You should have less contact with the neighbors next door, and you should also advise your sister-in-law not to let just anyone in all the time."
“The main thing is that I can’t control what she wants to do, and I can’t say anything about it. You don’t know how delicate the relationship between sisters-in-law is. You can’t be too lenient or too harsh. If I say too much, especially in a commanding tone, people will definitely think I’m abusing my power.” Miaozhen spread her hands.
Xiao Jingshi wanted to talk about Zhang's affairs next door, but he didn't want to say it out loud. If Zhang had already changed, it would be dishonest of him to expose her past.
Therefore, Xiao Jingshi did not tell Miaozhen about this past.
Meanwhile, before Miaozhen had even gotten out of bed the next morning, someone came to her door with a child seeking medical help. She had no choice but to get up in a hurry. The person who came to see her was the youngest son of the Cao family at the end of the alley, a baby who was exactly six months old. This young Mrs. Cao was good in every way, except that she was particularly prone to getting anxious over the smallest things.
As soon as Mrs. Cao arrived, she said impatiently, "I don't know what's wrong with my son. He keeps hiccuping and spitting up milk, and I think he also has a stomachache."
"Don't worry, let me take a look first." Miaozhen often had to reassure the adults first.
The child's lips were a darker color, and his tongue had a thick, yellow coating. She couldn't help but ask, "How are the child's bowel movements? Are they sometimes dry and sometimes loose?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Mrs. Cao nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
Miaozhen then said, "In that case, the child must be crying at night due to indigestion."
After saying that, she looked at the child's nose bridge, which was bluish, indicating that the child's spleen and stomach were weak and cold. She also touched the child's abdomen, palms, and soles, which were also a little cooler than those of ordinary children.
"Okay, put the child on the bed first, I'll give him a massage first."
What this child needs most is to strengthen the spleen, so first strengthen the three gates. Use your index and middle fingers to quickly push from the wrist to the elbow, then rub the Xiaotianxin point, and finally use the side of your thumb to massage the Wailaogong point.
Mrs. Cao was relieved to see that Miaozhen was skilled in her movements, and then asked, "Dr. Xu, is there anything else we should be careful about?"
“Of course there is. The child is cold, and it’s winter now, so you need to dress him in more clothes. No matter the season, he should always wear socks. Now that he’s six months old, he can start eating complementary foods, but don’t let him eat just anything. If he’s going to eat anything, make sure it’s the oil on top of the millet porridge,” Miaozhen said.
Mrs. Cao wished she could write it down on paper: "Could you say it again so I can write it down?"
Miaozhen smiled and said, "Don't worry, this massage is just for external use. I also need to prescribe some spleen-strengthening pills. I'll write them on the prescription later."
Mrs. Cao said, "It's so great that our neighborhood has such a wonderful doctor like you. It's really true, you can come over here with just a few steps."
The bag of Miaozhen pills was stamped with a seal, a medical log was written, and five qian of consultation fee was accepted before they were sent home.
After seeing the child off, Miaozhen returned to her room and took a nap for an hour before calling the children over to have breakfast together.
As soon as Fu-jie came over, she threw herself into Miao-zhen's arms: "I missed my mother so much."
"Mother misses you too. You're such a good helper to me," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Zhao Ge'er retorted, "Mother, I'm your little helper too."
"Of course, our Zhao-ge'er is also very capable." Miao-zhen rubbed her son's head.
Fu Jie'er said from the table, "Yesterday we did our homework with Miao Ge'er. We finished quite a while ago, but he hasn't finished yet."
Miaozhen frowned: "Didn't you say that Sixth Sister-in-law teaches the children to read every day?"
Sister Fu spread her hands.
"Never mind them, you two focus on your studies, understand?" Miaozhen said.
Seeing the two children nodding like chicks pecking at rice, Miaozhen felt gratified. In fact, Miaoge'er was indeed a little behind. Although he was only a month younger than Fujie'er and Zhaoge'er, his self-care ability was not as strong as theirs, and he was not very brave. He even peed in his pants during class.
Miaozhen could understand this. She had a child because she had modern knowledge and knew how to cultivate a child's self-care ability. But people in ancient times, especially wealthy families, did not need to put in such effort when raising children.
After dinner, it was time for parent-child activities. Miaozhen taught Fujie and Zhaoge to tie knots and fold clothes. She taught them very carefully and patiently because although they no longer need to tie shoelaces, there are still many ties on their clothes.
When the two had learned enough, Miaozhen let them try it out. After they finished, Xiao Jingshi got up, and Miaozhen laughed and said, "Who would want to help your father tie his belt?"
The two rushed to Xiao Jingshi's side. Xiao Jingshi had already heard them following Miaozhen's instructions through the screen. It sounded like a hypnotic voice, and he was listening and falling asleep at the same time.
After Xiao Jingshi finished dressing, Miaozhen told the two children to go play by themselves, and then said, "This afternoon you can teach them archery, backgammon, and chess, and I'll make you some snacks, how about that?"
"Yes, ma'am," Xiao Jingshi replied with a smile.
In the morning, Xiao Jingshi painted while Miaozhen practiced calligraphy. The two would glance at each other from time to time, sharing a sweet moment.
After the twelfth lunar month began, the family started to get busy. Zhang from next door came over more frequently. She had just come to see me for a cold the day before yesterday, and today she brought New Year's gifts.
Not only were the gifts very generous that year, but they also gave her and Lou Qiongyu amethyst hairpins each. Miaozhen shook her head and felt it was inappropriate: "As the saying goes, when you give a gift, you must have something in mind. Our relationship is just a normal one, so I don't need such a valuable gift."
Even with consultation fees, if the amount offered was too generous, she would return some of it, let alone since her relationship with Zhang was not that close.
Lou Qiongyu hesitated, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? After all, Grandma Cui meant well."
"Sister-in-law, I think you should listen to me on this matter. If we suddenly receive such a generous gift, not only will we have to search for similar gifts to return, but outsiders will also think that our two families have a good relationship. Right now, things are chaotic in the capital. The former Grand Secretary impeached the Earl of Jingshan. Although the former Grand Secretary was executed, the scholars will have their own opinions. What do you think?" Miaozhen was expressing her opinion to Lou Qiongyu.
Lou Qiongyu was taken aback for a moment, then said somewhat awkwardly, "It was my oversight. From now on, sister-in-law, please take care of this household."
Miaozhen said, "It's not your fault. It's just that your fourth brother is only a junior scholar right now, so we must be careful. It's fine for me to go out alone to treat patients, after all, doctors are compassionate. But if we're socializing in our family's name, we have to be cautious."
"Everything is up to you, sister-in-law." Lou Qiongyu was only helping with the household management; she was very sensible and knew that her fourth sister-in-law was now in a position of power because of her husband, and she was the mistress of the house.
Zhang was surprised that Miaozhen came to her door in person. She quickly bowed and said, "Why did you come in person, sister-in-law?"
Miaozhen explained her purpose: "It's too valuable, we dare not accept it. Actually, we can just keep in normal contact with each other."
"I only gave this to you because I saw how hard you've worked to treat my illness, so please don't be so polite," Zhang said carefully.
Miaozhen shook her head: "You just have a common cold. Not to mention me, even an ordinary doctor could cure it. So, you're being too polite."
For cases like Madam Chen's, where treatment for flaccid paralysis required two months of home visits for moxibustion almost every other day, Miaozhen felt she deserved the generous fees she received. However, there was no need for such treatment at Zhang's place.
Zhang thought that Xu was an unyielding person, and even after she dismissed the housekeeper Lou Qiongyu, she was very strict about guarding the house.
Things are more likely to go wrong at the end of the year, especially since the Xiao family is wealthy, so extra caution is needed.
Zhang had originally planned to cultivate a good relationship with Miaozhen or Lou Qiongyu so that she could later gain access to the inner quarters of the Xiao family, but Xu refused outright. She didn't actually expect anything to happen between her and Xiao Jingshi, but remembering the past, she felt a pang of resentment.
Whether she was willing or not, Miaozhen didn't know. Miaozhen had said what she wanted, returned the generous gift, and went back home with peace of mind.
Xiao Jingshi was enjoying the snow at home when he heard that Miaozhen had returned the generous gift the other party had given him. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. His wife was incredibly steady and a master at managing the household. Even without knowing anything about these things, she was able to make accurate judgments.
Therefore, when the neighbor held a New Year's feast, Xiao Jingshi sent his younger brother over. Xiao Jingtang knew Zhang Shi, and he was very surprised. He thought that it was no wonder that his brother, who liked to make friends, was not close to Cui Zhenfushi next door. So that was the reason.
When he returned, he told Lou Qiongyu about it. Lou Qiongyu was shocked and felt very guilty: "It's all my fault. I didn't know any of this. I was just thinking about the neighbors. The Cui family is a noble family, and I shouldn't offend them."
"It's fine if you didn't know before, but you'll have to be more careful now that you do." Xiao Jingtang patted her shoulder.
Lou Qiongyu's strong will was largely gone. She thought that her third sister-in-law, who came from a wealthy family, must have been exposed to the complex social dynamics from a young age. Her father was a high-ranking official, so naturally people would give her face wherever she went. But people like them were making mistakes at every turn and would offend others unintentionally.
My self-righteous sociability may have been a result of Zhang catering to my tastes, or even inviting trouble into the house. If my fourth sister-in-law's family is not at peace in the future, I will be the culprit.
Therefore, Lou Qiongyu became much quieter, spending her days only teaching and raising her children and not doing much else.
Miaozhen was unaware of all this, because after Zhengge'er's first birthday on the first day of the third month, a major event occurred: Crown Prince Zhuangjing suddenly fell ill that month and died shortly afterward. His mother, Imperial Noble Consort Wang, fell seriously ill, and the palace summoned Miaozhen to treat her, keeping Miaozhen extremely busy.
She truly saw what it meant to be utterly heartbroken in Consort Wang. Crown Prince Zhuangjing was almost her only hope, but now that hope was shattered, she was like a walking corpse.
This is something that medicine cannot save; a person who has resolved to die has lost all their former vitality and spirit.
Back home, Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi talked about it and couldn't help but cry: "We are both still young and it is hard to imagine the scene of life and death, but the Crown Prince is already so old. In a few years, he can get married and have children. But this happened out of nowhere."
"Don't bring someone else's coffin to your own house and cry about it." Xiao Jingshi said expressionlessly, unable to empathize.
Miaozhen was taken aback for a moment. "Why do you say that?"
“I saw you crying while reading a storybook a few days ago, and today you’re crying again for the Crown Prince, whom you’ve never even met. Not only are your eyes swollen from crying, but it’s also bad for your health.” Xiao Jingshi really didn’t understand.
Miaozhen lowered her eyes: "If I die one day in the future, you will still remarry without batting an eye, won't you?"
Xiao Jingshi found it hard to understand the connection between the two. He frowned and asked, "Do you think they are the same thing?"
"Respect the elderly as you would your own parents, care for the young as you would your own children—how is that not the same thing?" As women, sometimes it's not about what men want, but just their attitude.
Xiao Jingshi looked at her, somewhat incredulously, and said, "You told me last time that sometimes when you see other people making a fuss over trivial matters, you say that they are not mature enough."
When couples bicker, nothing pleasant comes of it. Miaozhen hadn't expected Xiao Jingshi to take it so seriously. She was actually quite sharp-tongued, but she hadn't argued with anyone in a long time. Seeing him speak like this, she simply sneered, "I knew you'd bring this up. Haven't you ever talked about others behind their backs? My words at the time were my thoughts at the time. Now, I'm dealing with a patient I've cared for for two years. Even if she's not a palace concubine, she's still a mother who has lost her son. What's wrong with me relating it to myself?"
Xiao Jingshi said earnestly, "You're a doctor, how could you possibly be in trouble? You can treat the children when they're sick."
"Doctors can only cure illnesses, not fates. Doctors aren't gods either, so it's normal for me to make this connection, as I also have illnesses I can't cure. On the contrary, you, seeing your wife crying, didn't offer a single word of comfort. Instead, every word you uttered was irrelevant, and you only blamed me. I know you told me last time that you like to look at the most vibrant cluster of flowers. I'm not that kind of person, and our marriage was also a matter of chance. So, you're actually dissatisfied with me, aren't you?" Miaozhen looked at him.
At this moment, Xiao Jingshi only needed to hold her, but he was always stubborn and could not be persuaded by either soft or hard approaches. Moreover, he found it difficult to soften his words when he disagreed with them. For the first time, he felt that Miaozhen was too smooth-talking and had wronged him. He was clearly so sincere to her, yet she was saying that he was dissatisfied with her.
"Wasn't this marriage something your family went through a lot of effort to get from the beginning? What do you mean by 'by some twist of fate'?"
Miao Zhen never expected that he would actually bring this up. She felt all the blood rush to her head and her whole body turn ice cold. She pointed at him and said, "See, you've been holding onto this all along. You're still dissatisfied with me now."
After she finished speaking, she felt completely drained. She thought to herself that she might as well pretend to be sick for the next few days. Anyway, she couldn't go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine Wang anymore. Otherwise, if she died, the Emperor would be furious with them.
In the past, when watching TV dramas, emperors would often tell their imperial physicians that if they couldn't cure a certain concubine's illness, they would be executed along with her.
For now, it's better to take a step back and protect yourself.
Miao Zhen thought that she might not be such a pure person by nature, so even though she was trembling from arguing, she wanted to use this incident to protect herself.
Even after she had figured out a way to protect herself, she had forgotten about the argument with Xiao Jingshi, but now she couldn't let her off so easily.
Miao Zhen went into the room and lay down. Xiao Jingshi felt a pang of annoyance. He never thought that things would turn out this way with his wife. It was like bringing someone else's coffin to his own house to cry, and it was all for no reason.
That day, Miaozhen instructed Xiaoxi to tell everyone that she had fallen ill, and even when people from the palace came, Xiaoxi told them the same thing.
Lou Qiongyu rushed over to visit, and Miaozhen said to her, "Sixth sister-in-law, don't worry, my illness just flared up suddenly because I was suffering from it too long. I've already taken the medicine, so you don't need to worry about it. You still need to help take care of things at home."
"Fourth Sister-in-law, you really don't need to act like this." Lou Qiongyu thought they were arguing because of Zhang Shi, and advised, "Fourth Brother has always refused to marry Zhang Shi even when she threatened to kill herself, let alone now that the magistrate has a wife and Luo Fu has a husband."
Zhang Shi? Miao Zhen couldn't help but ask when she heard her mention it, "What Zhang Shi?"
Lou Qiongyu then realized that Miaozhen might not know, so she quickly shut up: "It's nothing, I was just talking nonsense."
Miaozhen pleaded, "Sister-in-law, please tell me. I need to die knowing the truth."
Lou Qiongyu thought that Xiao Jingshi and Miaozhen's quarrel was probably because of Zhang Shi. As a woman herself, she told her everything Xiao Jingtang had told her. Miaozhen remembered that Xiao Jingshi had once said not to associate with the neighbors, and thought it was because he was afraid of getting involved with nobles. She never expected it to be for this reason.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me, Sixth Sister-in-law. I'm fine, I'll be alright in a few days." Miaozhen thought that as long as another imperial physician began to treat her during her illness, she wouldn't need to go to the palace.
After Lou Qiongyu left, Miaozhen thought of Zhang Shisong's generous manner. It was really not a good feeling to have someone covet what was rightfully hers. However, Zhang Shisong was so beautiful and came from such a good family, yet Xiao Jingshi was completely uncompromising.
But it's hard to say now, people's thoughts are always changing. Miaozhen is just glad that even after getting married, she continued to develop her medical skills.
In the future, relying on the plaque bestowed by the emperor, I might as well open the first women's clinic in the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking about it this way, she no longer cared what happened to Xiao Jingshi. Even divorce didn't matter.
When Xiao Jingshi returned home that evening, he heard that Miaozhen had put aside all her affairs in the palace because her body was simply too weak to handle the burden. He immediately rushed into the room in a hurry. When Miaozhen saw him come in, she didn't say anything, but just turned over and continued reading.
Xiao Jingshi felt a little flustered and walked closer to her to ask, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, don't worry. It's just that there's a strong smell of medicine in this room, you should go and rest in another room." Miaozhen said without looking at him, already thinking about what qualifications a woman needs to open a clinic.
She was just feeling a bit disheartened. She had thought that she and Xiao Jingshi had some feelings for each other over the years, but she didn't expect him to say such hurtful things so easily. Relationships were too tiring. She had given so much and received nothing in return, so she might as well focus on her career.
Seeing that she was ignoring him and seemed to be throwing a tantrum, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but say, "I'll just rest here. I can take care of you tonight."
"I just have a common cold and feel a little weak. I don't need anyone to take care of me, and besides, I have a girl with me. I really don't need anyone." Miaozhen didn't move.
“You’re so sick you can’t even enter the palace now, it must be a serious illness,” Xiao Jingshi said, somewhat annoyed.
Miaozhen looked at him and said, "I'm a doctor, I know how to treat it."
She had no intention of making up at all. Xiao Jingshi had heard that women usually resorted to crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, but Zhenzhen was different from others. She lost control, but then she became very calm and would separate herself from you.
He stood by her bedside as if he had done something wrong, saying, "I can take care of you."
Miaozhen said very politely, "Really, there's no need. You have to go to the yamen tomorrow, so you should get some rest."
"What exactly happened to us? Did we end up like this because of something that happened to outsiders?" Xiao Jingshi was completely baffled.
Miaozhen stood up, rubbing her forehead, and looked at him: "Actually, you're right. I've always been an upright person, but my family has truly wronged you regarding our marriage. I'm very grateful for your care these past few years, as well as the kindness of Second Master and Madam. I know you're not one to force things, so in the future—"
“Since you know that I finally agreed to get married, it was definitely not because I forced you. I admit that I had objections at first, but later I had no objections at all, really…” Xiao Jingshi said very seriously.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "I know, I know you are a very good person and think I am suitable to be your wife. But suitable is not the same as love. I know this principle. It's good that we can talk it out today and discuss it later, trying to make sure that both sets of parents can accept it."
Rather than waiting for someone else to find true love, she'd rather be upfront about it sooner rather than later. In fact, she now realizes that only what she earns with her own two hands and feet truly belongs to her.
Xiao Jingshi understood Miaozhen's unspoken meaning: "What are you trying to do? Is it really that big of a deal with such a small matter?"
"Ask yourself honestly, is this a trivial matter? Rather than let me humiliate myself later, it's better to be sensible now. Your private property has always been with me, and I've sorted it out today. The list is over there; take a look." Miaozhen pointed to the list beside her.
Xiao Jingshi was so angry he laughed: "You're too stupid. If you really didn't want to be with me anymore, you should have held onto your money tightly. Why are you pretending to be so high and mighty?" After saying that, he really didn't know what to do. Because Miao Zhen was impervious to both soft and hard approaches.
Miaozhen drifted off to sleep as she talked, and when she woke up it was already past midnight. She saw him still sitting by her bedside, looking dazed, and he was emanating a chill from his body. She quickly sat up and asked, "Why are you still here? You've been sitting here for most of the night. Aren't you cold?"
"It's cold." Xiao Jingshi's tone was slightly aggrieved.
Seeing him like this, Miaozhen softened: "Then come up and rest."
Xiao Jingshi got to the bed with lightning speed and even insisted on sharing a blanket with Miaozhen. Miaozhen sighed, "I really can't do anything with you."
"Anyway, I'm sticking with you now, don't even think about abandoning me." Xiao Jingshi held onto her arm tightly.
"You're the worst thing about me because of your words. You made me so angry that I was shaking all over. All I wanted was for you to comfort me, and you treated me so coldly. Are you still my husband? I'll treat you the same way when you're sad in the future, and see what you do then."
"Don't talk about these unhappy things anymore. If I say these things again in the future, you can hit me, and I will definitely not fight back." Xiao Jingshi was also scared.
Miaozhen stroked his hair: "You can't run away from it. How do you really feel about me now?"
The word "love" felt too effeminate to Xiao Jingshi. He couldn't bear to say such a thing, and simply said, "I would go through fire and water without hesitation."
"Are you a bandit leader? Why are you saying that?" Miaozhen couldn't help but laugh.
Xiao Jingshi noticed that Miao Zhen's eyes were swollen and her eye circles were dark. He truly regretted not saying something against his conscience. However, seeing Miao Zhen's relaxed tone, he was also very happy: "I'll only follow you to Liangshan."
“Good to know. Now that we’ve laid it all out, let me ask you, why is it that everyone knows about the Zhang family next door and your affair, but you haven’t told me anything?” Miaozhen asked.
Xiao Jingshi realized that she already knew. He quickly said, "It was never going to be possible. If I didn't want to, even if someone kidnapped me, I wouldn't agree. But for you, I am very willing."
This was a veiled confession, and Miaozhen felt much of her anger dissipate upon hearing it, but she hesitated: "After hearing what you said, I'm not angry anymore, but is it too quick to forgive you...?"
"No, no, it's been going on all day, it's been a long time already," Xiao Jingshi hurriedly said.
Seeing that Miaozhen didn't immediately agree, Xiao Jingshi continued, "Today I went to Wang Bianxiu's house for a banquet. I heard that Wang Bianxiu's second wife, whom he married after losing his first wife in middle age, is very talented and often holds literary gatherings. I originally thought I would get you an invitation too. Who knew that this woman would be such a shrew? She beat Wang Bianxiu up with bruises all over his body. When she saw me, she even slandered me, saying that I led Wang Bianxiu to a brothel. I exchanged a few curses with her, and only then did I realize that Wang Bianxiu had used me as a cover to go drinking with prostitutes himself. Can you believe how angry I was? If it weren't for the difference between men and women, I would have chased after her and cursed her to death."
"Ha, as the saying goes, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Don't they all respect me? I've had to stay home these past few days because of things in the palace. Once I recover, I won't let them off the hook." Miaozhen slapped the edge of the bed, instantly feeling her fighting spirit ignite.
Xiao Jingshi didn't mind at all that being called a dog was a problem; instead, he looked at her with a happy expression and said, "Thank you, Zhenzhen."
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