Chapter 95 (Combined Chapter 95)
In August of that year, Zhao Ge'er failed the provincial examination. Miao Zhen wrote to her son, telling him not to worry, and that the more times one takes the imperial examination, the more experience one gains.
“Our eldest son is only thirteen years old this year. Even if there’s no imperial examination next year, there will be one the year after, so he won’t be fifteen yet.” Miaozhen counted on her fingers.
Xiao Jingshi smiled as he watched Miaozhen's playful expression, feeling a tickle in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it aloud. He laughed and said, "Yes, I remember I also passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen."
When Miaozhen heard him say this, she couldn't help but laugh and said, "My father wanted me to marry you because he saw your writing and inquired about your character."
Xu Erpeng was bold yet meticulous. He wasn't solely attracted to Xiao Jingshi's family background; he must have greatly admired the man's talent. If he hadn't taken a liking to Xiao Jingshi at first sight, their marriage wouldn't have happened.
Xiao Jingshi, who had originally hated this marriage intensely, now just smiled and said, "Father-in-law really has a discerning eye. Zhenzhen, don't you think it's great that you married me?"
"Of course, you're getting better and better to me now, so gentle and understanding." Miaozhen smiled at him, a look of great satisfaction on her face.
Xiao Jingshi coughed lightly twice upon hearing the word "gentle".
Miao Zhen held his hand; his fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, quite beautiful. She kissed it, which made Xiao Jingshi feel unbearably awkward. Fortunately, Miao Zhen held his hand again, seemingly unwilling to do anything, and simply said, "Through the Fu family's affairs, I think we shouldn't wait until someone dies before we decide how to act. We should cherish the person in front of us."
"So that's what you were thinking about. Anyway, no matter what, you're the only one for me." Xiao Jingshi was telling the truth.
Miao Zhen raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said nothing more. Human nature is the most complex thing. She believed that what Xiao Jingshi said was true at this moment, but it was hard to say what would happen in the future.
The couple sent the letter to Suzhou. Zhao Ge'er did not take the imperial examination and planned to enter Qiubai Academy in a month or so. At this time, he was not depressed, but instead collected many books from outside and was reading them.
In fact, the more he read storybooks, the more important the Four Books and Five Classics seemed to him, so he relaxed for a bit and started reading.
When I was preparing to start school in early October, I received letters from my parents. This time, my mother was very forgiving and comforted me, saying that I was still young. My father, on the other hand, was as usual, saying that he was a scholar from the No. 16 Middle School, and that I had started my studies a year earlier than him. He said that if I didn't pass the exam by the age of fifteen, I would be ashamed to face anyone.
When he was a child, his mother was the strictest, almost like a strict mother and a kind father. Now the roles are reversed, with the father being strict and the mother kind. But no matter how their roles change, Zhao Ge'er is very happy with it.
He now knows very well that if he doesn't pass the imperial examination, he will still be a child in a sense, silent and no one will really value his opinions.
Thinking of this, he put down the storybook he had just been reading and resolved to study for an hour and then read a storybook for the duration of two incense sticks. This combination of work and rest made him more and more enthusiastic about learning.
Lou Qiongyu then discovered that Zhao Ge'er had taken a liking to reading storybooks, and warned Miao Ge'er: "Look at Zhao Ge'er, he has no parents to discipline him, and your grandparents spoil him, which has led him to love reading storybooks. Those miscellaneous books are most likely to influence one's temperament, so you'd better not read them."
"I know." Miao-ge'er knew, of course, that his classmates at the academy were secretly reading the novels about the Imperial Uncle. He was strictly controlled by his mother, so he had never read them.
The more Lou Qiongyu tried to stop him, the more Miao Ge'er would peek. Lou Qiongyu was unaware of this; she only knew that she would often search her son's room, and if she didn't find anything, she would feel relieved.
This is similar to modern children's addiction to games. If you completely stop them, they'll watch even more in private, and it might even get out of control. So from the beginning, Miaozhen believed that it was better to guide than to block. She didn't forbid him from watching, but he had to know what his important tasks were.
Zhao Ge'er understood this principle, so he took turns reading these books, and he actually read even more each day than before.
"Young Master, your luggage is packed," the servant said as he approached.
His servant was Xiao Xi's son, who had already tidied everything up before coming over.
Just as Zhao Ge'er was about to get up, he heard outside that Master Cen had passed away. Although Cen Yuan was the son-in-law of the third branch of the family, he was Xiao Jingshi's classmate, and the two families had frequent interactions in the capital.
So Zhao Ge'er still needs to go to the third branch of the family to ask first, and then he can explain his annoyance.
But if this happens, Uncle Cen will probably have to observe the mourning period. Cen Yuan was originally serving as a principal officer in the Ministry of Justice, and he had just been promoted to assistant minister this year. Unexpectedly, he has to observe the mourning period for twenty-seven months, and it will be difficult for him to be reinstated after that.
After all the ups and downs, he's not even as successful as Xiao Jingshi, who is now a fourth-rank official.
If this fellow gets promoted again next year, he will be a fourth-rank official.
Seeing Cen Yuan looking so worried, Xiao Suyin naturally shared her thoughts: "A few days ago, there was a Captain Hu, who is the nephew of Eunuch Hu. He has a younger sister who, although born to a maid, is very beautiful. I think that after you finish your mourning period, I should marry her as your second wife."
“My father is in mourning, how could I say such a thing?” Cen Yuan quickly denied.
Xiao Suyin knew that this man was always putting on airs, so she couldn't help but say, "If we don't give a definite answer, the young lady can marry a scholar or a graduate as her principal wife. If Eunuch Hu were still in office, she might marry someone of even higher status."
Although Commandant Hu was the nephew of a eunuch, he was very capable and no ordinary person.
After listening to Xiao Suyin for a long time, Cen Yuan slowly nodded in agreement. Xiao Suyin curled her lips. She and Aunt Zhou were already irreconcilable enemies. Now that she could bring in an outsider to deal with Aunt Zhou, she was not jealous at all, and was even very happy.
He wants to be a local tyrant at home? Bah! He'll still have to sell himself into prostitution as a male prostitute.
Years of marriage had exhausted Xiao Suyin and Cen Yuan's affection; they were merely making do with their lives.
When the dividends from Suzhou were delivered to Fuzhou, Fu Jie'er's birthday had already passed. Madam He personally made a bowl of longevity noodles, one noodle made into one bowl, and the soup was made with ham, which was very delicious.
When Madam He initially took such good care of everyone, they thought she was just a new bride and it was only a passing fancy. But if she continued to do so, it would be easy for people to develop a liking for her.
Fu Jie'er originally had a good relationship with Lin Shi, but later she became even closer to He Shi, because He Shi sometimes reminded her of her mother. Her mother never charged for treating the people in the clan, and she even quietly helped people like Aunt Qing. She always helped her grandmother with her medical treatment, rain or shine.
At first, the grandmother treated her own mother and sixth aunt equally, but later her mother became the grandmother's favorite, which was by no means because her mother was an official's wife.
She is thirteen years old this year, and has reached the age for marriage. Last time, she overheard her parents talking, and thinking of this, Fu-jie felt a little shy.
Putting her children's affairs aside, Miaozhen took on the emergency case. The person who came in said, "Our grandmother's baby hasn't been delivered yet, but her intestines have already prolapsed."
"It's a case of intestinal obstruction." Upon hearing this, Miaozhen took some castor beans and quickly got into a sedan chair to go there.
On the way, Fu-jie asked in confusion, "Mother, is this a difficult childbirth?"
Miaozhen nodded: "Yes, this case of intestinal obstetrics comes from the eleventh special obstetric condition recorded by Yang Zijian, a physician of the Song Dynasty, in his book 'Ten Treatises on Obstetrics.' That's why I told you to read more medical books on a regular basis."
Fu Jie'er realized to herself that she truly didn't know enough when she needed to use her knowledge. Seeing her mother always having a book in her hand, she wondered why her mother, with such high medical skills, still needed to read so often, and even visit other people's medicinal herb fields. She couldn't help but humbly ask, "So what should we do?"
"I remember that the 'Ten Treatises on Childbirth' records three methods. One is nasal inhalation therapy, which involves grinding Pinellia ternata into powder and blowing it into the postpartum woman's nose to induce sneezing, which might cause the intestines to retract. Another is fumigation therapy, which involves soaking paper in sesame oil, blowing out the flame, and then inhaling the smoke into the postpartum woman's nose to stimulate her. Finally, there is the patch therapy, which I plan to use. I will crush forty-nine grains and apply them to the lower rectum. Once the intestines retract, I will immediately feel relief. Or perhaps..."
As Miaozhen spoke, Sister Fu immediately wrote it down.
This time, they were helping an elderly woman named Huang with her medical treatment. The Huang family were also a merchant family. Originally, they were worried that Miaozhen would not come because they were merchants, but they still wanted to try their luck. Unexpectedly, Miaozhen actually came.
The old woman who greeted them at the door said, "Everyone says that although the councilor's wife is of high status, she never discriminates between the noble and the lowly when treating patients. Now it seems that this is indeed true."
"Take me inside first," Miaozhen said.
Miaozhen went in and saw that everyone was at a loss. She first checked the patient's symptoms. Fu'er, who had been grinding castor beans the whole way, immediately said, "Mother, should we apply it now?"
Miaozhen tried it first, but it didn't work. She immediately said to Fujie, "This time, let's first apply the crushed castor seeds to the top of her head, and then have someone bring a basin of hot water so that we can use the boiling water to fumigate her."
There are certainly many ways to treat illness. Applying castor seeds to the top of the head can lift the uterus, and then using hot water to heat the intestines will cause them to retract in a short time.
Therefore, Miaozhen allowed the midwife to continue delivering the babies.
The entire Huang family said, "Dr. Xu is truly a miracle worker."
"Don't praise me anymore." Miaozhen was also covered in sweat.
The expectant mother gave birth to her child smoothly, and the Huang family was very grateful to Miaozhen and wanted to thank her handsomely.
Miaozhen, however, thought that the Huang family's ships could even go as far as Luzon. She thought of sweet potatoes, which were a good thing for the country and its people, so she couldn't help but bring it up: "My father is fond of Xin Qiji's things. I once heard someone say that there is a kind of food in Luzon. When the purplish-red vines are buried in the ground, they can grow many seeds. I wonder if the head of the Huang family knows about this?"
“I don’t want any gold or silver treasures. If I had them, I would like to take them back and plant them.”
Unexpectedly, the head of the Huang family had actually seen it. Seeing Miaozhen's words, he agreed. Miaozhen then personally painted a picture of the sweet potato and told them to bring it back.
Seeing that she didn't even want the generous consultation fee, but instead wanted to plant something, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
“I once read in a natural history book that this kind of sweet potato produces five times the grain yield. Now that the world is at peace, wouldn’t this thing save lives in the event of a famine?” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi took Miaozhen's words very seriously: "In that case, I will also inform the Huang family head."
"Hmm." Miao Zhen thought it would be even better if she had Xiao Jingshi as a helper. Although she knew how good sweet potatoes were, she was not good at Jiaxuan's affairs.
Overjoyed, she couldn't help but show a playful side, which made Xiao Jingshi's heart itch: "After a few days of rest, you don't need to go out for free medical consultations. I'll take you to the nearby hot springs."
Upon hearing about the hot springs, Miaozhen exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful! Now that you've said so, I'll go and make the preparations!"
She had been to hot springs before her transmigration and knew what to bring, so she was very excited.
Xiao Jingshi watched her walk to his side, then pulled her to the front with one arm: "What's the rush? There are still seven or eight days left. Just stay here and talk to me."
"What's there to say? We've been together day and night, our mouths are dry from talking so much." Miaozhen tilted her head and laughed.
The two were still somewhat lingering, and only when Zheng Ge'er came over did Xiao Jingshi release him. Zheng Ge'er will be almost nine years old next year, but he loves to eat noodles, is taller than other children his age, has firm flesh, a loud voice, and is obedient.
"Erlang, what brings you here?" Miaozhen asked with a smile.
Zhengge'er said, "I've learned a new sword technique and I want to show it to my mother."
"Great! I happen to have some honeydew melons here. I'll have someone make you some sweet soup." Miaozhen also wanted to go to the corridor to watch her son practice his swordplay.
Xiao Jingshi readily agreed and went to watch. Zheng Ge'er had made great progress after a year of learning, and his performance was impressive. Miao Zhen cheered for her son from the side.
"Our Erlang is really amazing."
Looking at Zheng Ge'er, Xiao Jingshi was somewhat dazed. So his youngest son had grown up so much? How come he felt that he hadn't changed much, and even his wife hadn't changed much. They were still newlyweds in Furongwu, and it was because of Furongwu that they fell in love that they named their eldest daughter Fu.
After he finished practicing a set of sword techniques, Miaozhen quickly let him in, wiped the sweat from his face, and then took his hand to look at it. Even a small child's hand had calluses.
Miaozhen asked him, "Now that it's winter, the sudden change from hot to cold makes it easy to catch a cold. Since you're going to practice martial arts for a long time, you must take good care of your health. For example, if you sweat now, you must wipe it off, understand?"
Zheng Ge'er felt good no matter what he did in front of his parents.
The sweet soup was served quickly. Zheng Ge'er drank a bowl and then asked, "When is brother coming?"
"If things go smoothly, it should be around August or September next year." Miaozhen also missed Zhaoge'er.
In the afternoon, Miaozhen sat by the incense burner, wrapped in her bedding, reading and recording useful information. This was something she did every day; studying medicine wasn't something she could do for a few years and then think she could relax and enjoy it forever.
Just then, news came that a nun had come to visit. Because of Xiao Jingshi, Miaozhen usually spent her time with these monks and nuns outside and rarely brought them home.
Hearing that a nun had come to their door, they asked Xiao Xi, "Which nun is it? And what is the matter?"
Xiao Xi hurriedly went out and quickly returned, saying, "Grandma, you should probably go and meet that person. It's Abbess Zhisheng."
Master Zhisheng was Minister Lin's sister, the infamous "quack doctor." Miaozhen frowned and got up again to have someone invite her in. Master Zhisheng entered in a hurry, completely lacking her usual composure.
"Master, what's wrong..." Miaozhen had no idea what had caused her to be like this.
This nun was beautiful and dignified, but even in the dead of winter, her forehead was covered in sweat. She looked at Miaozhen and said, "Lady Xiao, I beg you for a favor."
"Why do you say that, Master? Why don't you tell me what happened first?" Miaozhen thought that she and Master Zhisheng were both skilled in gynecology, but they didn't interact much on a daily basis.
If it weren't for the medical treatment, then it's something I could control, which is better.
Master Zhisheng said, “The other day I went to a family. After the woman gave birth, a fleshy strip about two or three feet long came out of her vagina. She was in so much pain that she almost fainted. I prescribed some medicine, but I didn’t expect that the woman would be in even more pain after taking the medicine. Her husband said that if I didn’t cure her, he would beat me to death and never let me go for the rest of my life.”
"Are the family members really that vicious?" Miaozhen hesitated.
Master Zhisheng said, "That's right, he's a notorious troublemaker."
Miaozhen died in her previous life due to a medical dispute. What would happen if she were beaten to death again? Seeing Miaozhen hesitate, Abbess Zhisheng quickly said, "Lady Xiao, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. You still have to go and see."
“What if I can’t save him either? How about this, you tell the man of the house to send a formal invitation in person. Otherwise, you can ask me to come and treat you. But if he treats me like you are from the same family, that won’t be good,” Miaozhen said.
When Master Zhisheng saw that Miaozhen had agreed, although she was disappointed that Miaozhen did not go with her directly, she still told the male head of the household what Miaozhen had done. The male head of the household obviously knew Miaozhen's name and invited her over very politely.
Xiao Jingshi silently followed, and said to Miaozhen, "It's alright, I'm here."
Originally, I thought that Abbess Zhisheng was treating some petty thug, but I didn't expect that he was the son of Li Mo, the Minister of Personnel. Li Mo died and was imprisoned in February of this year. It is said that Zhao Wenhua of the Yan faction framed Li Mo because he failed to become the Grand Marshal.
Although the Li family was in dire straits, they were quite prestigious in the local area and had many supporters in the literati community, so it's no wonder that Master Zhisheng was in a difficult position.
After Miaozhen came in and examined the woman's condition, she sighed. Master Zhisheng thought it was a uterine prolapse, so she prescribed the wrong medicine. This was clearly due to a weakness in the belt meridian.
Excessive postpartum blood loss leads to blood loss in the Ren and Du meridians, causing the Dai meridian to lose its restraining ability, which in turn causes the blood to gradually slip out during each urination.
Miaozhen then prescribed two decoctions, containing twelve kinds of medicinal herbs, including ginseng, stir-fried Atractylodes macrocephala, wine-washed Ligusticum chuanxiong, and nine-steamed Rehmannia glutinosa. She instructed someone to prepare the herbs and decoct them in water for consumption.
After one dose of the medicine, the prolapsed penis had already shrunk by half; after two doses, it was completely cured. The Li family sent many generous gifts, and Xiao Jingshi and Li Yanei chatted amiably. Li Yanei, being a man of strong character, couldn't help but say, "Everyone says Zhisheng is a divine physician, but I never imagined he was a quack. It is your wife who truly has miraculous healing skills. Councilor Xiao, if my father were still in office, I would certainly have helped recommend him, but now..."
"Why torment yourself, young master? I, Xiao, have accomplished nothing in my post." Xiao Jingshi was indeed dispensable. With the Yan faction running rampant, if he participated in the factional struggle, he would be purged in the future anyway. It would be better for him to remain a local official and try not to get involved.
This young master Li knew some things about Xiao Jingshi, and couldn't help but say: "The heir of the Marquis of Yunjian was exiled to the Lingnan Garrison back then, but this year he has made great contributions to the fight against Japanese pirates in Zhejiang and has been highly trusted by the governor of Zhejiang."
Xiao Jingshi sighed, understanding his meaning. It was Xiao Jingshi who impeached Marquis Yunjian back then, and if the Marquis's heir were to rise to power, the first person to seek revenge would undoubtedly be Xiao Jingshi. However, Xiao Jingshi felt guilty about this matter. He had already requested permission from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate, because although all the evidence pointed to Marquis Yunjian, he still felt something was amiss. But to continue the investigation, he needed the Emperor's approval, yet the Emperor directly punished him.
Because of this, he went home and told Miaozhen about it. Miaozhen thought for a moment and said, "Since there is evidence, if you cover it up, then you will be guilty. The one who will truly convict you in this matter is the emperor. Well, let's take it one step at a time. Isn't this child in Zhejiang? Why don't you write a letter to General Fu and ask him to take better care of him? I will also write a letter to Vice Commissioner Qi."
“Okay, it’s settled then,” Xiao Jingshi said.
The couple wrote separate letters, which can be considered as their attempt to make amends.
Meanwhile, the letter that Miaozhen sent to Lady Wang before the New Year was delivered after the spring. Lady Wang told her that she would take care of Zhao Rui, the heir of the Marquis of Yunjian, and also told her some good news: she was now pregnant.
Miaozhen was very happy for Wang Shi after reading the letter. Even Fu Jie'er, who often accompanied Miaozhen on her house calls and knew that women often suffered from childbirth, was also happy for her.
"Mother, there are many Japanese pirates in Zhejiang now. Will Lady Qi be able to give birth smoothly?" Fu Jie'er asked worriedly.
But what could be done? Doctors can only cure illness, not fate. She shook her head: "I have already treated her symptoms. If she takes good care of the pregnancy, it should be fine."
While the Wang family's pregnancy was in good condition, Ting-ge'er's marriage was settled. The bride chosen by the Chao family was a girl from the Lu family in Tianguanfang, Suzhou. The Lu family had been famous doctors for two generations. In the third generation, the daughter's father, her father was a tribute student and worked as a Confucian instructor. The daughter also had three older brothers, one of whom had already passed the provincial examination and the other two were also scholars.
Miaozhen said to Xiao Jingshi, "I thought my aunt would help arrange a marriage with an official."
"As the saying goes, law and reason are inseparable from human sentiment. That's the point. Back then, wasn't it my aunt who arranged my sixth brother's marriage to the Lou family? What does the fate of the Lu family have to do with the Chao family if the Lu family falls apart? But the main branch helped Ting-ge'er protect his wealth. If this marriage is arranged, they will definitely still take care of him in the future." Xiao Jingshi didn't care.
Miaozhen replied, "Ting-ge'er is being raised in our home, and I treat him like family."
Xiao Jingshi held her shoulders and said, "I have seen how you treat Ting-ge'er, but his situation is complicated. If we raise him for too long, people will think that we have embezzled Zou's money, and it will be difficult to explain in the future. This child is twelve years old this year (by Chinese reckoning), and he can go to the academy in another year. He should also learn how to manage things."
That makes a lot of sense. Since the Chao family had arranged the marriage, Xiao Jingshi called Tingge'er over to say these things and told him, "You can study at the Chao family school or academy in the future. The family will arrange everything for you. Here is your uncle's invitation. Take it out and give him a scare if you encounter any difficulties."
Tingge was taken aback. He wiped away his tears and said, "Uncle, I still want to stay with you and Aunt. I don't want to go anywhere else."
Xiao Jingshi patted Tingge'er's head and said, "A good man should have ambitions beyond his hometown. Your uncle will soon be transferred to another place. Your elder brother Zhao is also studying at Qiubai Academy. When you have completed your studies, come and find your uncle again."
Ting-ge looked up at the sunlight streaming through the window. He wished he could stay with his uncle and aunt forever, but everyone has their own path to walk.
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