Chapter 79 (combined with another chapter)
Because the imperial court had made advance preparations, the troops stationed in Baoding had already been deployed to block them, and the Tatars did not reach the capital. Miaozhen never expected that her little butterfly flapping its wings would actually prevent the looting that might have happened.
Of course, most of the credit for making all this possible goes to Xiao Jingshi. He arranged and planned everything, and completely trusted her.
The couple had a good New Year. Miaozhen drank her beverage, and Xiao Jingshi drank wine. The two drank together and talked for a long time.
"My wife, without you, there would be no me today," Xiao Jingshi said, raising his cup.
Miaozhen quickly waved her hand: "Let's not talk about this. In the end, it was you who made the arrangements. I should thank you."
Xiao Jingshi thought his wife was very eloquent; he always praised her. He only spoke softly to her, because she was the person he loved most. However, when the two talked about the third wife's situation, Miaozhen said, "The other day, on the fifteenth, I went to see the lanterns with the third wife's family. My third aunt saw my clothes and told me not to be too flashy, otherwise people would say I was nouveau riche. I thought to myself, I finally managed to buy a set of jewelry these past two years, why would she say that about me?"
She had already received a considerable amount of fine jewelry while she was in the Cheng family, in addition to the dowry from her own family, gifts from her husband's family, and rewards from the empresses after entering the palace. She had more than she could wear, so she didn't need to buy any new jewelry. It was only this year, after returning from Xuanda, that she went to a jewelry store and had a set made, but unexpectedly, the Third Madam saw it.
Xiao Jingshi said, "Don't take her words too seriously. Why didn't she say she wouldn't accept our money when she took it? We just let it go because of Uncle San and we're family."
"That's true, Uncle San cares a lot about all of you nephews." Miao Zhen wanted everyone to tolerate Rao Shi, not because Rao Shi was so good, but all because of Uncle San.
But the third branch of the family didn't live with them after all, so once the matter was over, it was fine. She was easygoing. To put it bluntly, Madam Rao said that because she felt that Xiao Jingshi had given less money to the second branch of the family, so she was dissatisfied.
But she didn't consider that the second wife had already been very kind. Her son was already working in the Ministry of Personnel, with a bright future ahead of him, and they hadn't said they would stop sending money to the third wife.
Don't say that the second branch of the family relies entirely on the third branch. If the people in the second branch weren't capable in business, they would have already failed miserably. She had also heard Xiao Jingshi say that the second branch's backer was the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison, and every year they had to spend money to bribe officials in Suzhou Prefecture and other places. These were all things that the second master and his sons had worked for, not because of the third branch.
Miaozhen only mentioned these things to Xiao Jingshi, but she never expected that on the day of the Dragon Raising its Head on the second day of the second lunar month, Xiao Jingshi would buy her a piece of kingfisher feather jewelry.
He helped tuck the hair into her temple: "Everyone says my family is rich, but you don't wear many of our family's good things. I'll buy you some now, so what?"
Miaozhen simply smiled; she wouldn't back down or do anything too disheartening.
She is twenty-five years old this year. It has been eight years since she married into the Xiao family. Time flies by so fast, and everything in the past is still vivid in her mind.
"I'm no longer a bride, yet you still treat me so well."
"In my heart, you will always be my bride."
"Don't let anyone hear this, or they'll say you're being incredibly cheesy."
...
It is also said that Fu Jie'er and Zhao Ge'er both started their studies at the age of five, and they have been studying for two full years. Miao Zhen asked Xiao Jingshi to find a teacher for each of them.
Fu Jie'er sought out a retired palace lady to teach her needlework, tea ceremony, classics, and cuisine. This lady was not cheap, charging two hundred taels for two years, and would only serve Fu Jie'er. Zhao Ge'er sought out a skilled horseman and archer, rumored to be a mini-Yang Youji.
The two people they found were both from Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi's personal networks. Of course, Miaozhen also had her own selfish motives. Who wouldn't want their daughter to be the most outstanding and the best? So she didn't ask Lou Qiongyu to send Wei Jie'er over.
Miaozhen also instructed Fujie: "It's easy to find female teachers nowadays, but it's not easy to find a good one. You must learn well from the teachings of this lady."
"Daughter knows," Fu Jie'er said with a smile.
Lou Qiongyu's daughter, Wei Jie'er, is still quite young, but seeing Miaozhen hiring various famous teachers for Zheng Ge'er and Fu Jie'er has made her inexplicably anxious. She used to think they were all pretty much the same, all daughters-in-law of the Xiao family. In fact, when they married into the family, she and Han Yueyao received more respect than Miaozhen because they were both daughters of officials.
Even at first, Xiao's relatives and friends didn't pay much attention to Xu Miaozhen. She just sat there on the sidelines, and Xiao had to talk to her himself, not caring about any of that. It's unexpected that Fourth Sister-in-law is so independent; having a good teacher, she's afraid of letting others benefit. Aren't we all family?
I have never wronged her in any way.
Now that her status has changed, her attitude towards her relatives has also changed.
In fact, Miaozhen was also summarizing her experiences and lessons. For example, now that the second branch of the family no longer relies on the third branch, they still send money to the third branch, but the third branch is still unhappy. They feel that they should still send three to five thousand taels as before, and Rao still looks down on Ren. Even her father, who used to contribute money and effort to his eldest uncle, third uncle, and the family, would be slandered if he was not attentive enough.
They couldn't possibly be considerate in everything. They had already changed Xiao Jingtang's school registration, found him a tutor, and even arranged for him to live here. All his food, clothing, and daily necessities were covered by their household. People often came to visit, and Miaozhen also brought Lou Qiongyu to see the official's wife.
But being able to manage one generation doesn't mean managing every generation. The third branch manages the eldest and second branches because the eldest branch manages the rent for the third branch, and the second branch sends money. They don't ask Xiao Jingtang for anything; on the contrary, Xiao Jingtang relies on them, so it's naturally different.
Xiao Xi then said, "Sixth Grandmother and you usually have a good relationship, but I'm afraid this matter will cause a rift between you."
“I know that way, she won’t dare to do anything under my name,” Miaozhen said.
Xiao Xi didn't understand: "What do you mean by this?"
“I once heard my mother-in-law say that the Lou family had an endless supply of snacks and tea, but as soon as Magistrate Lou retired, it all disappeared? Why do you think that is?” Miaozhen spread her hands.
Xiao Xi asked in surprise, "You mean they were all gifts from others?"
“It should be said that it was a bribe. During the New Year, some people sent expensive gifts, and I returned them all, didn’t I? My sixth sister-in-law seemed to disapprove. Besides, Fu’er is my only daughter, and I wish she were better than anyone else in the world. I worked hard to get her a lady-in-waiting position in the palace, and I even went through Consort Shen’s connections. How could I let an outsider benefit from it?” Miaozhen thought it through clearly.
She went through the same thing from a young age. Her father sent her to the girls' school of their enemy, and she can still use that connection now, though she doesn't need it for the time being.
Xiao Xi said, "You're right."
With such a mother who cares for her daughter so wholeheartedly, Xiao Xi was happy for the young lady. During the New Year, someone took a fancy to Fu Jie'er's doll. If it were any other lady, she would have given it to her directly. But her own grandmother had to ask Fu Jie'er's opinion.
But to be fair, when Fu'er was disobedient and willful, it was her grandmother who would scold her severely, and no amount of persuasion from anyone else would work.
Before she could finish speaking, someone from the Cen family came and said, "Fourth Madam, our madam is not feeling well, and we don't know what's wrong. We would like to ask you to come and take a look."
Miao Zhen thought of the Cen family's affairs and felt they were all a mess. Cen Yuan wasn't doing very well, but he had a lot of problems at home. She immediately said, "Prepare the sedan chair, I'll go right away."
Watching Miaozhen lead her entourage to the Cen family, Lou Qiongyu really missed Gao Shi. Gao Shi was much better; she was generous and kind to everyone she met, truly befitting the daughter of a high-ranking official.
It is said that after Miaozhen arrived at the Cen family, she entered the second gate and saw several women with their hair styled in a traditional Chinese way holding up a curtain. She looked around and asked, "Isn't Aunt Zhou here?"
Erxi said, "She usually just greets us and leaves immediately."
"What's wrong with your grandmother?" Miaozhen knew that Xiao Suyin's illness was mostly related to the inner quarters, hence the question.
Erxi slit the chicken's throat without saying a word. Miaozhen entered the inner room and saw her lying on the bed. She couldn't help but ask, "Where do you feel unwell?"
"Why did they invite my sister-in-law over? I was just feeling a little dizzy, I'll be fine after lying down." Xiao Suyin was still embarrassed when she saw Miaozhen.
Miaozhen stepped forward to take her pulse and found that she was indeed just a little short of blood and qi. She said, "It's nothing serious. What's wrong with you? Lie down and rest for a while in broad daylight. You seemed fine the other day."
Hearing Miaozhen's concern, Xiao Suyin continued, "It's all about the upbringing of the children. I just don't understand. In other families, it's considered a favor for the concubines' children to be raised by the main wife. I'm just letting Aunt Zhou's daughter be raised by me, and Aunt Zhou acts like she wants to eat me alive. She's instigating that other woman to make trouble, and now she's even challenging me."
Actually, Xiao Suyin was angry that Aunt Zhou had eaten her shad, so she wanted to retaliate against her, but she didn't expect to be outmaneuvered.
Miaozhen simply said, "Since you can't beat her right now, you should avoid confrontation for the time being. Just do what you always do, otherwise you'll only hurt yourself if you get stuck in a rut. If you're not happy at home, you can come to our house."
"Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law." Xiao Suyin smiled slightly.
The worst thing to do now is to add fuel to the fire. If Cen Yuan tacitly allows Aunt Zhou to deal with Xiao Suyin, and Xiao Suyin were to fight back, what good would it do if the referee were biased? It would be better to be patient for now and wait for another day.
“You’re a sensible person. Cen Yuan is only doing this for the sake of the family’s peace, so he won’t really give you too much credit. But if you make the first move and get caught out, it won’t be a big deal in the future; you’ll just be outmaneuvered by others,” Miao Zhen said.
If Cen Yuan really loved girls, why did he abandon the Du family girl back then?
Xiao Suyin was comforted by Miaozhen for half a day before she felt better. She even ate a bowl of pig's trotter soup, and her dizziness subsided. Only then did Miaozhen feel relieved and leave.
Back home, Miaozhen sat on the table with her chin in her hand. She felt tired seeing other people's wives and concubines. She couldn't feel superior just because she didn't have any concubines. She had a long life ahead of her.
After thinking for a moment, she was full of energy again, determined not to let other people's negative emotions affect her.
When Xiao Jingshi returned from his study, he saw Miaozhen playing on the swing with great interest, and quickly came over and said, "Let me help you push."
"Okay, then you must push me high." Although Miaozhen often sits for long periods of time while treating patients, making it impossible for her to climb mountains for exercise now, for fear of aggravating her back pain, she now really enjoys swinging.
Xiao Jingshi tucked her skirt into her trouser leg and pushed it forward step by step. He himself was not afraid of fighting tigers or wolves, but he was a little frightened when he saw Miaozhen flying too high.
She flew up from the swing as if she were racing in the wind. After a while, she stopped, feeling great. She looked at Xiao Jingshi with a nervous expression and said, "What's wrong with you? It's just a swing. Last time I learned to ride a horse in three days. You taught me to ride a horse for a bit and then let go!"
"It's heartbreaking to see." Xiao Jingshi carried her off the swing.
Miaozhen recounted what had happened that day, and Xiao Jingshi immediately said, "I really want to beat that son of a bitch up."
After saying that, she thought of getting up to go to the Cen family, but then she thought of it and said, "Forget it. If the couple reconciles, I will have wasted my time as a villain. Besides, even her own brothers are not standing up for her, so why should I bother?"
It seems that Xiao Jingshi is quite sensible. Miaozhen pulled him to sit down and said, "I told her that it would be good for her to come to our house for a visit when she's feeling down. But to be honest, it's a difficult situation for her."
“What’s so difficult about it? If she were Third Aunt’s daughter, Third Aunt would have already come to her door to make a scene and stand up for her.” Xiao Jingshi saw it clearly.
Miaozhen held his hand and said, "So we parents should also strive to be more capable. In the future, when our daughter marries into another family, if she is bullied, we can stand up for her. Even if she doesn't want to marry, we can still make sure she is happy for the rest of her life."
Xiao Jingshi just smiled, bent down to look at her: "You've already thought about how we're getting old?"
“How could I not want to?” Miaozhen said.
Because she has a daughter, she hopes that her daughter can be skilled in all kinds of martial arts so that she can support herself even if she doesn't get married in the future. Just like she herself thought, when Xiao Jingshi retires to the countryside, she wants to open a special women's medical shop so that she can benefit women and also give her daughter a livelihood.
Thinking of this, she felt thirsty again, went inside and drank a cup of beverage, and then saw Xiao Xi come in from outside: "Grandma, Madam Chen, the Earl of Pingjiang, has come to see you."
"Okay, I'll go to the clinic now. Please ask someone to come over." Miaozhen finished her drink and hurried over to the clinic.
Miaozhen and Madam Chen were old acquaintances. Seeing that Madam Chen's tongue was red with a yellow and greasy coating and her pulse was deep and thready, she said that she had pain in her upper right abdomen. After examining her carefully, she said, "This is a liver disease, and I'm afraid it is not easy to treat."
Madam Chen's heart sank upon hearing this: "Liver and spleen diseases have always been difficult to cure. How many more years do I have left to live?"
"Although it's difficult, I know a prescription. You can take it back and try it first." Miaozhen prescribed Yin Chen Si Ni San and personally prepared thirty doses of the medicine, instructing her to take one dose twice a day.
Seeing that Miaozhen was still willing to prescribe medicine, Madam Chen was relieved and said, "With you here, I really don't have to worry about anything."
Miaozhen laughed and said, "Please don't flatter me."
Madam Chen thought that Dr. Xu was the kind of doctor who seemed to have no trouble treating you on a daily basis, and she would never tell you how hard it was for you. But once you left her, you would realize how difficult it was to find a good doctor.
Therefore, even though she was a countess, Madam Chen was courteous and came in person, unlike others who put on airs. Miaozhen returned the same respect to those who respected her, and said, "It's been ten days. I'll come to your residence to visit you and see how the medicine is going. You've been eating a lighter diet these days."
"Hmm." Madam Chen nodded, and as she was about to leave, she seemed to remember something else: "Your wife, Ning Zheng, is on good terms with you. You should also advise her that she is still a young and beautiful woman and shouldn't waste herself for some hereditary official position. Those good things will never come her way."
Miaozhen said, "I understand. If I have the chance, I will definitely tell her."
It is said that Zhang's family came over at the end of last year. The Zhang family agreed to let Zhang stay in the Cui family, but they had one condition: that Zhang be adopted by a nephew of the Zhang family, because they said the Cui family was too distant.
This shattered Miaozhen's idea that in ancient times, "heirs were chosen from among the same clan," meaning that when choosing an heir, one should be allowed to choose a nephew from the same clan of equal seniority to succeed the heir, and heirs from different clans were not allowed to be chosen.
But Zhang's actions made Miaozhen realize that people in ancient times would do anything for a hereditary official position.
However, a first marriage is arranged by one's parents, while a second marriage is one's own decision. If Zhang Shi truly does not wish to remarry, her family will not force her. Thinking of this, Miaozhen asked Xiaoxi to go to the Cui family the next day to inquire about the situation.
Zhang invited Miaozhen over under some pretext, as she had no one to consult with and wanted to ask Miaozhen's opinion.
“Sister Xu, you’ve always been very insightful. What do you think of this matter?” Zhang asked.
Miaozhen pondered for a moment before saying, "I don't usually get involved in other people's family affairs, but your relationship with me is different. I'll just talk about possibilities. If you decide to stay at home as a widow and raise your adopted son, you won't be able to wear bright colors or manage affairs in the future, just like withered wood and dead ashes. Of course, if you like peace and quiet and usually worship Buddha, then it's probably quite suitable for you."
Zhang quickly shook her head.
"Furthermore, what I mentioned above refers to ordinary widows. With your stunning beauty, who knows if there aren't lecherous men who would covet your beauty? That's one thing, but I also fear those greedy men who, seeing you as a widow and orphan guarding your wealth, would try every means to harm you so that they can gain money and official positions in the future."
Zhang was taken aback: "I hadn't thought of that yet."
“But marriage isn’t necessarily a good thing. If you choose a good man, that’s fine, but if you choose a wolf in sheep’s clothing, then you’re doomed.” Miaozhen finished speaking and gave the example of Lu Shi’an’s father.
Originally, Zhang thought it was fine, but after hearing Miaozhen's words, she became very anxious: "Sister Xu, I can't sleep tonight. Can you please help me think of a solution?"
Actually, once you get to know Zhang, you'll realize she's a bit simple-minded. She just always wants to be a parasitic plant, finding a strong backer to rely on, and now it seems she's the one relying on herself.
Miaozhen said, "I have an idea. If you are unwilling to remain a widow for the rest of your life, don't say anything for now. Have a matchmaker find someone for you in secret. If you have a few candidates, let me investigate them for you. I will then tell you the information I can find, and you can choose from them."
"But you don't have to trust me completely. You can also have your family members help you investigate."
Upon hearing this, Zhang said, "My only family member is my brother and sister-in-law in the capital. They are eager to have their nephew adopted by me, so I would like to trouble Sister Xu to send another letter to my parents for me."
Miaozhen agreed and then instructed, "You must keep your affairs discreet. Even when you are looking for a matchmaker, you must not make a big fuss. Remember, things are accomplished in secrecy, and ruined by leaks."
Seeing how considerate Miaozhen was, Zhang wanted to thank her with hairpins and rings, but Miaozhen said, "I don't even have enough to wear at home, so you don't need to rush. Just pack up your valuables and don't give them away carelessly. A dowry is the foundation of a woman's livelihood."
Zhang Shi originally had a crush on Xiao Jingshi, and later had a brief affair with Cui Fengzheng. Now she felt that Miaozhen was the most reliable. She thanked her several times, but Miaozhen smiled and said, "No, you are the most reliable now. Look at you, how much courage you have to make these decisions instead of going with the flow."
Every choice in life is fraught with uncertainty.
Even when she married Xiao Jing, she was filled with trepidation.
Zhang was also a very efficient person. After Miaozhen left, she started to ask a middle-aged woman she had a good relationship with to help her make arrangements. When Qingming Festival came, she went out to meet one of them. Miaozhen received the list sent by Zhang and naturally asked Ping'an and the page to check it together.
"Grandma, what's the man Grandma Cui was talking about?"
"They say he's an official in the Five Armies Commandery, his family is quite wealthy, and he's a handsome man. He has a daughter, but I don't know the specifics. You don't need to tell me now; we'll find out later," Miaozhen said.
Xiao Xi thought so. Although she disliked Zhang's actions before, Zhang was young and had a large sum of money. If she couldn't entrust it to a good person, she would suffer a miserable end. So, her grandmother helping her was a good deed.
They all hoped the man was good, but Ping'an and the page boy came back after investigating and said that he actually already had a wife and had only tricked Zhang into becoming his concubine.
The next day, Miaozhen went to the Cui family and told them. Zhang then summoned the old woman who sold the goods and questioned her. Seeing that it was indeed the case, she threw the old woman out and forbade her from coming to the house again.
With only two months left in the mourning period, Zhang was anxious because she knew the Cui family would come to pressure her again. She asked familiar matchmakers to introduce her to potential partners, but she was just looking around aimlessly. Unexpectedly, someone came to her through a matchmaker.
This man was the cavalry commander they had once saved. Because of his outstanding military achievements, he had been promoted to garrison commander. At that time, it was Zhang who kept cleaning his wounds, applying medicine, and boiling medicine for him. He was very grateful. This time, when he came to the capital to send prisoners, he heard that Zhang was in mourning and wanted to give her a try.
Miaozhen had Xiao Jingshi investigate, but there was really no need to investigate much, because the Ministry of Personnel had records of officials' conduct, and he also knew friends in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. When he returned, he told Miaozhen: "This man is thirty years old, a hereditary centurion. Although he is no match for the Cui family, he is quite ambitious. He had a wife who has passed away, and they have no children. Although he is a rough man, he is shrewd despite his roughness, and his family business is quite prosperous."
"Then I'll tell them these conditions." Miaozhen lifted her skirt and ran off.
Zhang was taken aback. It was truly a case of reaping what you sow. At the time, she and Miaozhen had been taking care of the soldiers day and night without ever thinking of repaying them. Yet, this very act had led to her a wonderful marriage.
This truly shows that you should do good deeds without worrying about the future. Helping others is helping yourself!
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