Chapter 90 (combined with Chapter 90)
The medicine kit arrived quickly. Miaozhen followed Madam Ruan into the room and saw the eldest daughter of the Fu family lying on the bed. Miaozhen went closer and saw that the child had smallpox.
She's not a naughty child at all; she looks quite distressed.
She quickly had someone apply Atractylodes lancea, and then put on a mask and hand coverings. For her, as a doctor, she could only protect herself first in order to better treat others.
Some of the child's smallpox rashes were red and plump, about to burst when pressed, while others were empty. The child's foster mother said, "Our little girl also keeps having diarrhea. What are we going to do?"
Ruan also asked Miaozhen, "Doctor Xu, would you like acupuncture?"
“No need, can the child eat anything?” Miaozhen asked the foster mother.
The foster mother shook her head: "It's just not possible."
"Well, since that's the case, I'll prescribe the medicine first. This medicine should be given to the child when he is half hungry, and three jujubes should be used as a medicinal guide." Miaozhen quickly prescribed the Great Tonic and Quick-Blemish Soup. She had seen this soup when she was studying ancient smallpox diagnosis in her previous life. It was written in the second year of the Wanli reign, and the book does not exist now.
After receiving the prescription, Madam Ruan sent someone to fetch the medicine. Miao Zhen told her that the illness was contagious and advised them not to leave anyone in the room. Even Miao Zhen herself hurriedly took her leave, and upon returning home, she first had water brought to her and took a medicinal bath.
She was a thoughtful person, so she quickly sent Ping An out to get some cinnabar powder and deliver it to the Ruan family so that the rest of the Ruan family could start taking precautions. She herself talked to Sister Fu about the treatment of smallpox while brewing Three Bean Soup and preparing Five Plague Pills.
The so-called Three Bean Soup is made by boiling one liter of red beans, one liter of black soybeans, one liter of fresh mung beans, and three ounces of raw licorice root in running water. First, the beans are cooked until tender. After cooking, the licorice root is removed, and the beans are dried in the sun. After drying, they are put back into the original soup and kept soaking and drying in this way. This is how to treat smallpox in Zhengge'er, Tingge'er, and Fujie'er.
Miaozhen also drank it, and at the same time took out the Five Plague Pills to prevent infection.
Because Miaozhen was making Three Bean Soup, the wife of the Deputy Inspector came to visit. Upon hearing Miaozhen say that it could prevent smallpox, she immediately asked for some to take home for her youngest son to drink.
Watching from the side, Fu Jie'er thought that her mother was not like others who knew how to flatter or make arrangements, but with her excellent medical skills, she was almost always surrounded by admirers.
She seemed to realize something; in fact, capable people just need to do their own thing well and don't need to think about taking on extra work all the time.
"Mother, I have memorized everything you just taught me." Fu'er was determined to learn from her mother properly.
Miaozhen nodded: "The premise of remembering these things is that you must protect yourself. Every life is very precious. It is not easy to come into this world. Don't fantasize about saving all living beings all day long."
Young people are often enthusiastic and eager to give their all just because someone praises them, which is not advisable.
Fu Jie nodded sensibly after hearing Miao Zhen's words.
A few days later, Ruan sent a message saying that fortunately, thanks to the medicine she had sent for preventing smallpox, no one in the Fu family had been infected yet, and that her eldest daughter had also recovered.
Miaozhen reviewed the prescription again, prescribed new medicine, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
It is also said that last time, because of the Three Bean Soup, the wife of the Deputy Provincial Inspector and Miaozhen became acquainted, and Miaozhen also successfully got to know the wife of the Provincial Inspector, Ouyang.
Ouyang's father was very famous, and she herself was also a very famous talented woman. Miaozhen had even read her poems and essays. Originally, she thought that Ouyang would be a cold and aloof person. Now that she was the wife of a third-rank official, she never expected that Ouyang would be so generous, good at making arrangements, and so warm-hearted.
I heard that some of the rice that Miaozhen and the others brought was stale when it was unloaded from the ship, so they specially sent over some glutinous rice and white rice.
Xiao Jingshi looked at Miaozhen and said, "Our Zhenzhen has such good fortune."
"It's not that I'm good, it's just that the people I've met recently are very good. Madam Ouyang is so tall, with a long, thin face and high cheekbones. I originally thought she would be difficult to get along with, but I never expected her to be so righteous. As for the wife of Vice Commissioner Jiang (Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner), she's not the kind of person who likes to join in the fun, but she's also well-educated and reasonable. I feel so lucky." It's not easy to find people around you who are easy to get along with and have no ill intentions.
They thought that with the Fu family as an old acquaintance, all they needed to do was maintain a good relationship with them, but they were pleasantly surprised.
When Xiao Jingshi saw Miaozhen, he couldn't help but think about why such cautious ministers were so popular with the emperor. It must be because of someone like Miaozhen, who rarely got cocky and was always humble, making people feel comfortable and never arrogant or impatient.
For some reason, he felt playful and pinched Miaozhen's cheek.
Miaozhen coughed twice: "What are you doing?"
It's not like when they first got married, so this kind of mischief was normal. But now they're still like this.
Xiao Jingshi felt somewhat embarrassed.
Vice-Prefect Jiang's wife had no children. Vice-Prefect Jiang took two concubines when he was fifty years old, and they had a son and a daughter who were raised by his wife. His wife treated them as her own children. She rarely went out, but knowing that Miaozhen was skilled in gynecology and pediatrics, she often went to her house to consult her.
After the meal, Madam Jiang came to visit. Miaozhen invited her in and said, "I was just about to bring you some shrimp cakes, but I was afraid you might have some dietary restrictions, so I didn't."
"I don't eat shrimp or crab, and I never eat fatty meat. I'm a vegetarian," Madam Jiang said with a smile.
Miaozhen really wanted meat, eggs, and dairy products, but since it was their own insistence, she didn't want to say anything more. She simply said, "I never expected that you would also like the Diamond Sutra."
She had originally thought that her years of studying the Diamond Sutra were useless, but she didn't expect that her superior's wife liked it and that they could have common topics.
Madam Jiang came specifically to deliver the prayer beads. She said to Miaozhen, "The situation outside is not very peaceful right now. When things calm down, I will take you to listen to the Buddhist assembly."
“I will definitely go with you,” Miaozhen said.
A month after arriving in Fuzhou, she had already gotten used to the environment, but the humidity was so high that she frequently broke out in pimples and suffered from dry mouth and a bitter taste. Not only Miaozhen, but Xiao Jingshi was also experiencing the same thing.
She then prescribed Yin Chen Gao Tang, mainly for clearing heat and promoting diuresis.
After taking a few doses of the prescription, Xiao Jingshi felt much better. He even hired a renowned local scholar to tutor Zheng Ge'er and Ting Ge'er, and Miaozhen prepared two sets of the prescriptions for them. Having experienced the loss of his mother, Ting Ge'er had become much more sensible and usually gave in to Zheng Ge'er. Zheng Ge'er, hearing Miaozhen's words that he was the young master and should take good care of the guests, treated Ting Ge'er politely.
Sometimes it's not that children don't understand, it's that adults think children don't understand.
She wasn't Ting-ge'er's mother, so she shouldn't say things like "treat him as her own son." However, she could still ensure that the child had enough to eat and wear, received an education and care, and grew up healthy.
The Fu family sent out invitations and specially arranged a banquet for Miaozhen and the others, and Miaozhen went with the children.
Since it was just a small banquet, Madam Ruan did not want to make a big fuss, so she set up tables, chairs and benches in the back garden corridor early on. She also brought her two children and her cousin Lu Jie'er with her.
After Lu Jie'er recovered, she had faint acne scars on her face, but her overall health was very good.
The child looked to be ninety years old, quite old. Madam Ruan specifically instructed, "Physician Xu is a person whose medical skills and character have been praised by His Majesty. She is now the wife of the Vice Inspector General. You must listen to her, understand?"
"So what?" Sister Lu didn't think anything of it.
Mrs. Ruan knew the child's catchphrase; it was either "So what? Or what?"
It's infuriating to hear this, but since the younger brother is divorced, the child should still be taught and guided by the inner family. However, the younger brother dotes on this daughter, so it's not good to be too lenient or too harsh.
Thinking of this, when she heard from outside that Miaozhen had arrived, a smile returned to her face, and she went out to greet her.
When the two met, Miaozhen saw that the girl Lu, whom she had treated before, had very fair skin and the small pimples on her eyebrows did not affect her appearance, so she was relieved.
Madam Ruan took a liking to Fu Jie'er at first sight: "Not only is Miss Xiao beautiful, but her overall demeanor is also extraordinary."
"You flatter me," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Because Fu-jie had spent a lot of time with Ren-shi last year, her social skills had improved considerably, and Miao-zhen nodded slightly as she watched from the side. Ruan-shi's child was only three or four years old; after being brought out for a brief introduction, he was taken inside.
Miaozhen wanted to learn more about Fujian, so she let the girls go play nearby while she chatted freely.
Kefu hadn't expected that this Lu girl seemed a bit unapproachable. She simply complimented her politely, saying, "I wonder what kind of tea your family makes? It tastes very sweet. My family always keeps Tiger Hill and Songluo tea on hand; they're both local teas."
But Sister Lu said, "What's so good about this tea? Wine is much better! Do you drink wine?"
Fu Jie shook her head: "I'm still young, Mother won't give me any wine."
“You’re a few years older than me, how can you say I’m young?” Sister Lu wrinkled her nose.
Her father was a military officer, and her mother had been gone since she was young. Seeing that Fu Jie'er was highly praised, she felt that Fu Jie'er was just like those young ladies, who appeared well-mannered on the surface but actually looked down on her behind her back. So she spoke rudely to Fu Jie'er.
Fu Jie'er had never heard anyone say such things about her before. She was like Miao Zhen in temperament and would not easily say such things directly. She only told Miao Zhen about it on the way back.
“The Fu family has been an official family for generations, how can their daughter be so ill-mannered? Since you don’t get along with her, don’t come here again. Our Provincial Surveillance Commission’s office has Madam Ouyang’s daughter, Miss Xia, and the Jiang family’s young lady are also quite good. Besides, you have to practice calligraphy and needlework on weekdays, and you’re learning medicine from me. You don’t have that much time to spare.” Although Madam Fu got along well with her, her daughter’s feelings were the most important thing.
Hearing Miaozhen say this, Fu Jie'er laughed and said, "Mother is on my side, so I have no worries. This Fu family girl not only said I was old, but she also threw a worm on me. I really hate her."
"Anyway, you won't have any contact with her in the future, so just ignore her." Miaozhen could understand Fujie'er's feelings very well.
Some adults neglect the needs of children for their own benefit. Miaozhen herself was once a child, so she can understand Fujie'er. She also said to her daughter, "Your two younger brothers have just started primary school. Your father and I are here to take care of everything. You don't need to help them with their studies all the time. You should focus on yourself."
"I understand, Mother." Fu'er was touched, not expecting her mother to understand her so well.
The mother and daughter were on the road when they came to a commotion ahead. A woman was shouting wildly and running around erratically, her bare arms waving wildly, looking quite frightening. Miaozhen sensed something was wrong, and then she heard an old woman and a man chasing after her saying, "You only gave birth two days ago, you're still in your postpartum period, why are you running..."
Upon hearing that she was a woman in labor, Miaozhen knew what the problem was. She immediately stopped the carriage, had someone hold the woman down, and said to her family, "I am a doctor. She has postpartum sepsis, a condition caused by blood loss. You can rest assured that I will treat her."
A young woman stepped off the carriage amidst the onlookers. She wore a light purple long gown with gold butterfly buttons and a pleated skirt with pearl and orchid patterns. Her hair was adorned with a gold-threaded bun and red gold jewelry, clearly indicating her wealth and status.
Xiao Xi then said at the right moment, "Don't be blind to her greatness. Our Lady Xu was once summoned to the palace. Even His Majesty's eldest daughter, Princess Chang'an, took her as her teacher. If our lord hadn't gone to Fujian to serve as an official, she would still be in the capital now."
The new mother's mother-in-law and husband rushed over and bowed. Miaozhen had already taken her pulse and examined her. She then asked her husband about her condition, saying that she had postpartum abdominal pain, fever, and no appetite.
Miao Zhen noticed that her pulse was strong and her tongue was very red, so she said, "This is caused by blood deficiency that cannot nourish the heart. You need to greatly replenish your heart blood. I will prescribe a medicine here, one dose will be enough."
The new mother lived in a Liu Chen shop on the street. Her husband's family wasn't extremely wealthy, but they were content with a modest life. Miao Zhen followed them inside, and after the medicine was bought, she looked at it and had it prepared and taken immediately.
After just one dose, the new mother calmed down, the lochia was expelled, and she was even able to eat a bowl of millet porridge.
The new mother's family members all expressed their gratitude, and Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "Just take good care of her. Women are prone to emotional distress after childbirth."
She thought it was just a casual matter, and when she came out, she told Sister Fu about the prescription she had written: "This calming soup is made of angelica, chuanxiong, stir-fried rehmannia, stir-fried peony bark, and raw cattail pollen, with a dried lotus leaf as a medicinal guide. Chuanxiong and angelica can nourish the heart and blood, rehmannia and peony bark can nourish blood and cool blood at the same time, lotus leaf can open the orifices and raise yang, and cattail pollen can invigorate blood and remove blood stasis, and promote the discharge of lochia."
After returning home, Sister Fu wrote down the symptoms and instructions, thinking to herself that learning medicine was really difficult, but if she mastered the skills, she could really save lives.
The mother didn't take it to heart at all, but for the new mother and her family, it was an incredible stroke of luck.
During dinner that evening, Fu brought up the matter. Her father kept a close eye on her mother, but he often did this, frequently keeping an eye on her.
After rescuing the pregnant woman on the long street last time, Miaozhen gained some fame in Fuzhou. However, she was very cautious, knowing that the Japanese pirates were still not eliminated and the situation was extremely dangerous. Therefore, she was not as open as before, in case any spies infiltrated.
While Miaozhen was gradually adapting, Madam Ruan was getting impatient. One day, she came over to complain to Miaozhen about her niece: "I really don't know what to do!"
"Does her father not care at all?" Miaozhen thought that even the elders should do something about it.
Ruan said, "My brother-in-law is fighting a war abroad, and he doesn't have time to take care of things even if he wanted to."
"Then there's nothing I can do." It is said that Ting-ge'er, whom Miao-zhen takes care of, used to be naughty, but he has become much more sensible after losing his mother.
Madam Ruan sighed: "I originally thought that since Fu-jie is about the same age as her, they could play together and let her see how others are. Later, I heard that she and Fu-jie had some quarrels. I think it would be better if I hosted a banquet and let her and her sister reconcile."
In fact, Madam Ruan had taken Lu Jie'er to socialize with others, but someone secretly said that she was ill-mannered. So Lu Jie'er had someone get dog blood and sprinkle it on their house, acting like a complete devil.
Miaozhen immediately declined, saying, "No, Fu'er is a lonely child. Besides, she's learning medicine from me now. In addition to the homework I assign, she also has to do needlework and housework. She doesn't even have time to look after her younger brothers."
Although the Fu family held a high status, Miaozhen did not want her daughter to fawn over others for her father's future.
"In that case, it is my fault." Madam Ruan knew that Miao Zhen was a person who spoke her mind. She had even gone to the front lines to treat soldiers, which was admirable. Since Fu Jie'er was going to follow in her mother's footsteps, she must be studying hard. Therefore, it was not appropriate for Madam Ruan to say anything about it.
Miaozhen laughed and said, "You've done enough. If you're really troubled, why not do what I did? Back then, I found a female official from the palace with Sister Fu to teach her manners."
Upon hearing this, Madam Ruan thought it was a good idea and immediately went back to discuss it with Fu Yu.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fujian was temporarily calm. Madam Ouyang suggested that everyone go to Luohan Temple to worship Buddha. Women were not free to come and go, and they could only relax by offering incense.
They came from Suzhou and hadn't left the house much except for visits to the Fu family, so they naturally agreed.
Xiao Jingshi said, "It's a day off today. I'll come pick you up later. Don't be afraid if it gets dark when you come out."
"Why are you becoming more and more fussy these days? You went out for a few days by yourself, even climbing mountains and fighting wolves. Weren't you afraid?" Miaozhen said reproachfully.
Xiao Jingshi said, "I'm physically strong, but you aren't." After saying that, he realized his tone was a bit harsh, so he added, "I'm worried about you."
It seems that the argument in the capital a few years ago really scared him. Miaozhen stood on tiptoe, wrapped her jade arms around his neck, and gently said in a coquettish tone, "I know you not only worry about me, but also love me very much, right?"
Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but nod, then blushed slightly: "It's so cheesy."
"So, do you love me or not?" Miao Zhen teased him from time to time, which was quite fun.
When Xiao Jingshi whispered "I love you," she smiled and said, "I'll wait patiently for you to come and pick me up."
Madam Ouyang and Madam Jiang each rode in a large sedan chair carried by eight men, while Miaozhen and Fu'er rode in a large sedan chair carried by six men, all heading to the temple. Fu'er had always ridden in small sedan chairs before, so riding in this large sedan chair was quite spacious.
They soon arrived at Luohan Temple. Miaozhen joined them in burning incense, praying, and listening to the Buddhist assembly. There was another Buddhist assembly in the afternoon, so everyone went to the meditation room to rest.
As soon as she entered the door, Sister Fu said, "I dozed off a few times while listening to her."
"Mother too, but she has to pretend to be calm." Miaozhen rubbed her face.
Fu-jie looked carefully at her mother's face and said, "Mother, I can see your tear stains."
Miaozhen was a little embarrassed; she had simply been yawning so frequently that her eyes were watering. She lowered her head and said to Fujie, "Mother is missing your little brother."
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed for a while, ate some vegetarian food, and prepared to go for a walk. They weren't going far anyway, so it would be good for digestion.
The osmanthus flowers at Luohan Temple were in full bloom, but the fragrance was too strong, and Miaozhen felt it was a bit too overpowering. A few women were gathered together in front of them, and one of them said, “Everyone says that the old nun Zhisheng of Fuqing Nunnery is a good doctor. I paid a hundred taels of silver to ask her to come, but I never expected that my neck and back pain would be cured and I would end up with a crooked neck.”
“You wouldn’t be able to tell unless you move like that. My cousin had an even worse experience. She heard that her medical skills were very good, and she went to her for treatment when she was pregnant and felt nauseous. As a result, her medicine caused her to miscarry. It’s true that quack doctors deserve to be struck by lightning.”
"Shh, keep your voice down. She's the younger sister of Minister Lin, a prominent local family. Now, Fuqing Nunnery is also the Lin family's family nunnery. We can't afford to offend her."
...
These people had also heard of Master Zhisheng Miaozhen, and even heard Madam Jiang mention her, saying that she was proficient in Buddhism, skilled in medicine, and had some prestige in the local area.
I never expected him to be a quack.
Miaozhen quickly led Fujie away. Just as they turned a corner, they saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy in brocade robes nimbly vaulting down from the railing. He bowed to the women and left with a grin.
Miaozhen and Fujie were both startled. It was Madam Ouyang who witnessed the incident and came over to say, "This is the son of Marquis Yunjian. I heard that he is brave and skilled in battle, so he specially followed his father to fight this time."
"You look quite agile," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Madam Ouyang nodded: "It's rare to find such an ambitious child from such a noble family. The Lin family acted quickly. If the war here ends next year, they will probably go back to get married."
“Men should marry when they are of age and women should marry when they are of age!” Miaozhen said with a smile.
People in ancient times had shorter lifespans, so they usually got married earlier. Miaozhen glanced at her daughter and shook her head inwardly. She still hoped that her daughter could learn something first, and that she shouldn't get married too early.
She couldn't control her own marriage back then, so she couldn't make a decision about her daughter's marriage so soon. She still needed to let her learn medicine from her first, and then decide on a partner when she was a little older.
After listening to the Buddhist ceremony in the afternoon, we went outside. The sunset was undulating and stretched across the green mountains, half hidden and half revealed, which was quite beautiful. When we went outside, we saw Xiao Jingshi riding over again. The couple smiled at each other.
After arriving home, Fu Jie was exhausted and went to rest early. Miao Zhen, however, washed up and leaned against the bed, talking about what she had seen and heard that day. When she mentioned the son of Marquis Yun Jian, Xiao Jingshi frowned: "What's he doing there?"
“Is there something wrong? I heard from Madam Ouyang that they plan to get married around next year after this battle is over,” Miaozhen said.
Xiao Jingshi sneered, "Do you still want to harm people? Do you know why things have been so much calmer lately, and you're even reporting military achievements? I've already received intelligence that these people are not only stealing other people's credit, but also killing innocent people and claiming credit for them."
Miao Zhen couldn't help but cover her mouth upon hearing this: "My God, Jing Shi, this is no small matter. Especially since some of these people are Yan's faction members. You, you must be careful."
Xiao Jingshi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Miaozhen sighed slightly, knowing that Fujian was probably about to change. Her husband seemed arrogant and straightforward, but he was actually quite capable and skilled in both literature and martial arts. His confidence must have some basis.
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