Chapter 96 (Combined Chapter 96)
Ting-ge'er was sent back to Suzhou by Xiao Bin and his wife in June. Xiao Bin was planning to take the provincial examination next year, and Miao-zhen thought it would be good for Lin and He to separate.
Seeing He's tireless efforts day after day, Lin was almost overwhelmed. Fortunately, the two were not sisters-in-law, yet they had both reached such a point.
This year, Madam He happened to be pregnant. After taking her pulse, Miaozhen said, "I see that your pulse indicates a deficiency of qi and blood. You need to rest well. You don't need to get up early in the future. I'll tell Qing-ge'er not to bother you either. Just take good care of your pregnancy."
"Auntie, what medicine should I take?" Madam He asked with some concern.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "I think you're doing well now. Eating and sleeping well is better than anything else. When it's time to take the medicine to prevent miscarriage, I'll naturally prescribe it for you."
Madam He touched her belly, feeling quite amazed. She had been married into the family for over a year and hadn't conceived, which had made her very anxious. She never expected to be pregnant now. After she married into the family, her fourth aunt took good care of her. At the end of last year, when she was going out to socialize, knowing that Madam He didn't have much jewelry, her aunt specially gave her two pieces of jewelry and a few sets of clothes to make her look presentable.
Life is much better now than when I was at my parents' home.
Even though she was the daughter of the county magistrate, she had an older sister, a younger sister, and a younger brother, so she never got to have anything good, not even a good marriage.
After she got married, everything improved. Her husband, Xiao Qing, was now the Provincial Administration Commissioner. He was capable, wealthy, and treated her even better.
"Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of myself during this pregnancy." Madam He clearly understood the priorities.
After Miaozhen left, she saw Fujie come over. Fujie had treated one of her maids yesterday and was somewhat confused, so she asked Miaozhen about it. Miaozhen looked at the medical records Fujie had written and analyzed, "You see, she caught a chill outside, which caused her to feel cold, have body aches, and a fever. Actually, the medicine you prescribed treats typhoid fever caused by wind and cold, but think about it, she has a cold body but no sweating, which is a Taiyang typhoid fever. If you prescribe Jingfang Baidu San, it can dispel wind and dampness, induce sweating, and relieve the exterior. Getting her to sweat first is more important than anything else."
Thus, Sister Fu prescribed Jingfang Baidu San again, one dose to be decocted and taken twice. Although she sweated after the first dose, she still had a sore throat after three days.
When she came to ask Miaozhen, Miaozhen smiled and said, "You see, the cold evil has been removed, but the heat evil has appeared. You should remove the schizonepeta and angelica from the prescription and add forsythia, reed rhizome and burdock fruit to clear the heat and stop the sore throat."
After Fu Jie followed the instructions, her maid recovered after two doses.
However, she was puzzled: "Mother, isn't Ephedra Decoction also a warm and pungent remedy for relieving exterior symptoms? Why don't you use it?"
Miaozhen explained, "Although this formula can expel cold pathogens, it can easily damage the heart's yang energy and cause a rapid heartbeat. Therefore, Jingfang Baidu Powder is now more commonly used."
This was a hands-on teaching method. Fu'er memorized all of this and stretched, saying, "Mother, what would I do without you?"
"What else can we do? We still have to live well." Miaozhen smiled, and seeing that her daughter had grown up and was becoming more and more beautiful, she couldn't help but say, "She will be fourteen this year, a young lady now, so we need to make more clothes for her. I happen to have a piece of orange-red silk, so I'll make a few more clothes for her then."
Orange-red is the most vibrant color. Miaozhen thinks her daughter is much prettier than she was born, so she should show off her beauty. This is what a pretty little girl should look like.
Sister Fu was delighted to hear that new clothes were to be made, but she needed to study the recipe further, so she gave a nod and went downstairs.
When Miaozhen saw her daughter, she thought of her daughter's marriage. She had married at seventeen, which she thought was a bit too early. If her daughter were to be engaged, it would be better if she married at eighteen.
However, the marriage of their eldest daughter also put the couple in a difficult position. There were not many suitable candidates in Fujian. When choosing a husband for their daughter, they would definitely choose someone who was good in every way, even if there were some minor flaws, he would still be flawless.
Besides family background, talent and ability are also important, and one should also be compatible with one's siblings, in-laws, and parents.
Well, it would be best if we could return to the capital this time. If we can't, we'll make other plans. By then, my husband's official position should be promoted another level.
The Fu family has already been transferred. Fu Yu is young and has won the emperor's favor. This time he went to Zhejiang as governor. Zhejiang is now the front line for fighting Japanese pirates, so naturally they need to send their own people there.
Come to think of it, she hadn't properly said goodbye to Madam Ruan yet.
But with the imperial examination for her son scheduled for August, Miaozhen was worried that if Zhaoge'er failed, he could no longer stay in Suzhou and would have to be tutored by a famous teacher.
Just then, when she saw Mrs. Huang coming over, Miao Zhen was overjoyed, thinking that perhaps there was some progress on the sweet potato, and hurriedly invited someone over.
Mrs. Huang smiled when she saw Miaozhen, "Madam, you've finally brought the things back as expected."
Miaozhen saw a small piece of sweet potato and couldn't help but say, "Thank you so much, it must have been difficult to bring it back."
"Yes, I heard that people in Luzon don't allow it to be brought back. He brought it back in his hat, and he even told me that this stuff really sells very quickly in Luzon, so the people there are very strict about it," Mrs. Huang said with a smile.
Miaozhen couldn't help but nod. After Mrs. Huang left, she quickly invited Xiao Jingshi over. Xiao Jingshi actually understood Jiaxuan's methods better than Miaozhen, but they didn't have any land in Fujian, so Xiao Jingshi went directly to the Huang family to cooperate. If the planting was successful in the future, it would be of even greater benefit to the country.
The Huang family had always wanted to cultivate a good relationship with Xiao Jingshi. They frequently traveled to Luzon and owned land, making them a perfect match.
After the matter was handed over to the Huang family, Miaozhen also experimented at home. She had previously saved the lady from Liuchendian, who was very knowledgeable about these things, so Miaozhen invited her over.
The woman smiled and said, "Although I've never seen this before, I do know a little about how to grow it. It's true that you have this sweet potato, but you still need to cultivate seedlings. Seedlings can be grown in soil or hydroponically."
Miao Zhen really wanted to live in the government office, but it was hard to find soil for cultivation, so she decided to grow it hydroponically. She cut off half of it and put it in water, and after waiting and waiting every day, it really sprouted lush little shoots, filling the entire small pot.
Although she didn't know anything about farming, she knew that sweet potatoes grew in sandy soil. So she rented an acre of sandy land, planted the vines, and asked others to help with fertilization and soil turning.
Time flies when you're busy. Lin Shan has already given birth, and Miao Zhen is the one who took care of her postpartum recovery, but it has to be said that Lin Shan always seems a bit gloomy.
Lin Shan had her reasons for acting this way. The Marquis of Yun Jian had been exonerated. His family had always enjoyed the Emperor's trust; previously, someone had impeached them, leading to their exile. Now, because the Marquis of Yun Jian's heir had distinguished himself in battle and pleaded his case before the Emperor, the Emperor had exonerated him. The Marquis of Yun Jian's heir was now reinstated and serving as a commander in Zhejiang, where he was also said to have achieved remarkable feats.
However, she was hastily married off to someone else who was inferior to Zhao Rui in every way. How could she not be depressed?
If only I had persevered a little longer.
But what's done is done, and she dared not think about it anymore. It was not something she could say to outsiders, so she could only keep it to herself.
Even if Miaozhen guessed her thoughts, she was unwilling to delve into them.
Soon after, she received a letter from the capital, written by Cheng Yuan, saying that Lu Shi'an had hanged himself, supposedly because he was afraid of being investigated for embezzlement.
When Miaozhen thought of Lu Shi'an, it felt like something from a past life.
However, this is not like Lu Shi'an's character, because he had lived in Yunnan for so many years and knew that it was better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. Why would he hang himself now? Normally, he should have made all sorts of excuses and tried to get away with it.
But Lu Shi'an's matter no longer had much of an impact on her. After Xiao Jingshi retaliated last time, it was already over for her.
Zhao Ge'er's journey has also come to an end. This time, he and Miao Ge'er participated in the academy examination together, and he was under a lot of pressure.
After all, Miao Ge'er hadn't passed the prefectural examination before, but now he was on par with him, so of course he had to work even harder. Besides, there were his parents to consider, and it would be good if he could meet them soon.
After finishing the exam, he wasn't very confident. After returning home, he went to see Ting-ge'er at the main house. Ting-ge'er was now living in the main house and studying at the Chao family school.
Zhao Ge'er naturally asked Ting Ge'er about his time in Fujian, but Ting Ge'er was always engrossed in his studies and knew very little. He only spoke about what he already knew, which left Zhao Ge'er unsatisfied.
"Never mind, I'll ask again when I go to Fujian," Zhao Ge'er said with a smile.
Then he gave Ting-ge a lot of his own paper books: "You've just come back, so feel free to ask me anything you don't understand about your studies."
Ting-ge'er smiled and said, "Don't worry, big brother, I'll definitely ask you if I need anything."
Zhao Ge'er saw that Ting Ge'er had been raised by his mother for just over three years, and he seemed like a completely different person. He spoke clearly and became much more capable. At least he could still express himself when he needed to, which was very good.
As they came out, Zhao Ge'er ran into Miao Ge'er. Miao Ge'er was a little nervous and immediately dropped his storybook from his sleeve. Zhao Ge'er picked it up and couldn't help but say to him, "You should know your limits. The academy exam just ended, and you're already so confident?"
“Aren’t you watching it too?” Miao Ge’er said.
Zhao Ge'er thought about it and realized that he really had no right to judge others. He usually read storybooks to relieve his boredom. Before he could say anything more, Miao Ge'er said, "Brother, I'll go to your place to read."
"No, no, be careful, or Aunt Liu will scold you." Zhao Ge'er was just being kind to remind him. Aunt Liu was quite strict with Miao Ge'er, searching his books and bed every day.
However, the more this happened, the more depressed Miao Ge'er felt. He only hoped that his younger brother would be able to finish his studies soon.
On the day the results were announced, Zhao Ge'er took Miao Ge'er to the examination hall early in the morning. The two brothers were very nervous. Miao Ge'er was so nervous that he squeezed the pimples on his face until they bled. Zhao Ge'er handed him a silk handkerchief and said, "You, I didn't know you liked fried dairy products so much. Now your face is covered in pimples."
Miao Ge'er was originally a handsome young man, but he loved to eat fried cakes, and his face was covered with pimples. Aunt Liu said that she had even found a doctor, but to no avail.
The so-called doctor can only treat symptoms, not the root cause.
It's useless if you don't change your lifestyle.
But Zhao Ge'er wasn't one to fuss over details. He reminded them that he was also waiting for the results to be released. Soon after, some classmates from Qiu Bai Academy came over. The rankings for the side-court exam were read out starting from fiftieth place. Everyone held their breath and concentrated, some muttering to themselves.
Those who won couldn't hide their excitement, while those who didn't hope their names would be called.
When Zhao Ge heard that the thirty-eighth place was his good friend, he went up to congratulate him, but then wondered why he wasn't on the list. Had he failed the exam again? He sighed softly.
"Tenth place, Li Fang, Xiao Zhaozhi."
While he was deep in thought, Zhao Ge'er was overjoyed to find that he had passed the exam. He would be fourteen years old in three months. Although it was rare for a young scholar to pass the imperial examination in a place like Suzhou, he was not from a poor family. The Xiao family was a prominent local family, and his father was already a fourth-rank official in his thirties. His mother was a famous female physician who worked in the palace.
Therefore, Zhao Ge'er received more attention than the top scholar.
Miao Ge'er is still young. After failing the exam, he slept for three days. Lou Qiongyu was extremely anxious. She wanted to ask Zhao Ge'er to come and comfort her son, since they were cousins and had a good relationship. However, Zhao Ge'er had already asked for leave from the Suzhou Prefectural School and was preparing to go to Fujian.
This time, Master Xiao the Second didn't stop him. At his current age, even if he took the provincial examination in three years, it would be difficult for him to pass. Master Xiao the Second knew this. As for what kind of teacher to hire and how to teach him, it would be up to the Fourth Prince and his wife. Besides, they had been gone for three or four years and nothing had happened.
Mrs. Ren was quite reluctant to part with her grandson: "Why go such a long way?"
“It’s no fun for a boy to stay at home. Jing Shi and the others went out to do things for me when they were teenagers. Besides, it’s normal to enjoy family time. My son also wrote that if he is transferred this year, it would be good to let Zhao Ge go there and learn some manners,” said Master Xiao.
With Wei Jie'er to care for her and her two grandsons, Li Ge'er and Miao Ge'er, the Ren family had grandchildren, so they decided to leave it at that.
Zhao Ge'er boarded his own boat and went to Fujian without any problems.
In mid-September, the family finally met. Miaozhen was overjoyed to see Zhaoge'er. Her eldest son had grown taller in a short time, from a little boy to a young man.
The mother and son, reunited after a long separation, talked for more than an hour. Miaozhen took her son's pulse and saw blackheads in the triangle area of his nose and two pimples on his forehead. She couldn't continue talking and said directly, "Mother will make you some facial cleansing powder later. You have to be careful to keep it clean."
Zhao Ge'er blushed and touched his nose: "My sons are all good. You didn't see Miao Ge'er. His face was covered in pimples. He was so scary."
Miaozhen shook her head: "No, you need to take some medicine to regulate your body. I took great care of your sister, and I will do the same for you."
At this age when everyone cares about their appearance, if your face is full of pits and pus, even if you squeeze out the pimples, there will still be acne scars on your face, making your face look dirty, which is not good.
Zhao Ge'er was surprised that his mother's concern was now directed at him, and he was both amused and exasperated. Later, he heard from his mother that she had found sweet potatoes in Luzon and that they were being planted in sandy soil, which piqued his interest.
"You also know about Jiaxuan's affairs?" Miaozhen looked at her son.
Zhao Ge'er laughed and said, "A few times when I had nothing to do, I went with my grandfather to visit our family's fields, and my grandfather even taught me."
"It seems you've arrived. You really are my helper." Miao Zhen thought that she and Fu Jie'er were women, and it wasn't easy for them to travel back and forth except for going to the doctor. If Zhao Ge'er was there, it would really be twice as effective.
In the evening, everyone held a welcome dinner for Zhao Ge'er. Zheng Ge'er had his own older brother arrive, and he showed off everything one by one. Zhao Ge'er listened patiently and was very proud of his younger brother. He also learned that his sister's medical skills had improved, and he quickly congratulated her.
Xiao Jingshi and Miaozhen were very satisfied to see that all the children were there.
Zhao Ge'er has been eating delicious meals for the past few days. After resting well, Miao Zhen makes him wash his face with facial cleanser and apply ointment to his sores every day, and his face has regained its former freshness.
With Zhao Ge'er helping her check on the sweet potato planting, Miao Zhen felt a little more at ease.
But clearly, after two months, the sweet potatoes have only sprouted leaves and branches; it's unlikely they'll bear fruit. However, the fact that they've sprouted leaves and branches is already a good sign.
Since the sweet potatoes were growing well, Miaozhen continued to teach Fujie'er medical skills as usual. She even had Fujie'er help with the diagnosis during this free clinic, and Miaozhen just checked the results herself.
“Theory without practice is ultimately superficial. You must see more doctors now, and in this way, you will gradually learn how to deal with illnesses,” Miaozhen said.
Fu'er bit her lip, then made up her mind and, imitating her mother, asked the first person she saw, "Where do you feel unwell?"
The first person to come for treatment was carrying her son. She was crying so hard she could barely speak. Fu Jie was also very nervous. She thought that her eldest brother had already become a scholar, her second brother had become an apprentice of General Qi, and she herself was learning medicine from her mother. If she didn't achieve anything, she would be a laughing stock in the future.
“You little brat, you’re too young. Let your mother take care of my illness.” The woman refused to let Fu’er see her.
Sister Fu never expected that she would encounter this challenge. She couldn't help but say, "Today is my day to provide free medical consultations."
The woman said, "If you're the one looking, then I won't look."
Fu Jie'er immediately looked at Miao Zhen, who looked at the woman and said, "If you don't want to see her, then leave. Ambition knows no age. I started seeing patients when I was twelve or thirteen."
So the woman sat down with a bad attitude. Fu thought to herself that her mother was mighty. She had heard since she was a child that her mother never tolerated other people's bad habits when she was doing free medical consultations or treating patients. As an observer, she really enjoyed watching it.
The woman had vulvar sores, so she was embarrassed to say so. Sister Fu happened to have this medicine, which was made by burning musk and almonds and storing it in a silk bag, and gave it to her.
After the first patient left, Fu Jie'er saw Miao Zhen give her a thumbs up and felt full of confidence again. Although she was nervous that day and there were some patients she didn't know, with her mother by her side, she actually began to look forward to the next free clinic.
Xiao Jingshi came to pick up the mother and daughter. He would personally come to pick them up every time he came for a free clinic. When Miaozhen saw him, her steps became much lighter.
"Jing Shi, have you eaten?"
"Not yet, we're waiting for you to get back so we can use it together."
Since Zhao Ge'er returned, the family has been like weary birds returning to their nests. Everyone is busy with their own things during the day, but they eat dinner together in the evening. Zheng Ge'er was talking about how he knew a young martial monk whose kung fu was exceptionally good, far surpassing his own. Zhao Ge'er also had someone take him sightseeing in the neighborhood and to visit a famous scholar.
This is the happiest time for the family to gather every night. Sister Fu also talked about her experience of seeing a doctor today, and everyone listened with admiration.
“Mother, since you came to Fuzhou, many of the patients you treated before have come to visit. I am truly honored. Once, I was traveling home by boat with my classmate, and the boatwoman knew that I was your son. She offered me food and refused to accept my fare,” Zhao Ge’er said with a smile.
As father and son, Xiao Jingshi always spoke frankly, while Zhao Ge'er spoke in a very pleasant way.
However, Miaozhen said, "Although the boatwoman meant well, we are doing quite well, so there is no need to be stingy with the money."
Zhao Ge'er hurriedly said, "Mother is right. Although she tried to refuse in every way, I still left the fare."
That would be good.
Two more months passed, and the sweet potatoes produced small fruits, which disappointed Miaozhen. However, she also thought that it was no wonder they couldn't grow in such cold weather. As the saying goes, sow in spring and reap in autumn. She gathered up the vines and waited for next spring.
The last free clinic of the twelfth lunar month ended. This time, Xiao Jingshi didn't come to pick them up, and Miaozhen was a little uneasy. She said to Fujie'er, "Over the years, your father would have come whenever he could..."
"Maybe something's wrong?"
"No, no, the government offices are all being closed down now. The Japanese pirates are mostly in Zhejiang, and your father isn't in charge of that." Miaozhen was very worried and quickly went back with her daughter.
Fearing that the children would worry, she sent them to rest first, and Xiao Jingshi did not return until late at night.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Xiao Jingshi knew his wife well; she often said she needed to rest and recuperate. When she was young, she stayed up late studying medical texts, and now she needed to take better care of her health.
Miaozhen asked, "Is something the matter?"
“Governor Hu has transferred troops from Fujian again, which suggests that another major battle is about to break out in Zhejiang,” Xiao Jingshi said.
Miao Zhen shook her head: "You're not in charge of the government, so it shouldn't be about this, right?" She knew Xiao Jingshi very well; he handled external matters very well.
Xiao Jingshi sat down, rubbed his forehead, and said, "The factional struggles in the capital are fierce. His Majesty now trusts the nobles more, especially the heir of the Marquis of Yunjian, who has already joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
It's difficult for an official to be perfect in everything. Although Xiao Jingshi currently has Lu Bing as a backer, the relationship isn't actually that strong. If something is blown out of proportion, his entire family could be implicated in its downfall.
So that's what it was about. Miaozhen said, "What joy is there in living, what fear is there in dying? He's only just joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so what? Our sweet potatoes are good for the country and the people. If we plant them well, they will bring blessings to the people and will be a good thing in the future."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "You're absolutely right. I was being too attached to appearances."
“It’s not that you don’t understand, it’s just that you have a whole family behind you. Actually, I think that Marquis Yunjian might not be as you think. Once he has a firm foothold, you might already be as unshakeable as a big tree,” Miaozhen said, looking at him.
Xiao Jingshi was also a man of strong emotions; upon hearing this, he clapped his hands and laughed.
Seeing that he had returned to his original state, Miaozhen sighed. The officialdom is truly a good place to temper people. Even someone as fearless as Xiao Jingshi, who was not afraid of powerful people, is now hesitant and cautious.
I must stand up and support him.
The couple slept in each other's arms. The next morning, Xiao Jingshi was transferred to the position of Prefect of Jinan.
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