Chapter 42: A Pair of Mandarin Ducks and a Tender Heart in the Republic of China
Is this the surprise that Auntie Pang mentioned?
Rongzhen wanted to accept it, because it would be a waste if it came to her door.
But the original owner had never experienced this before, so no one knows what caused this change.
Rong Zhen concealed her doubts and asked Jiang Yu for confirmation: "Are you really giving it to me? If we don't work out in the future, will you take it back?"
Otherwise, it cannot explain why in the story, after he ran away from home, the original owner had to work hard to pay the rent and even emptied the dowry.
"This is for you. It will be yours from now on." Jiang Yu avoided the topic of success or failure, and spoke in a relaxed and casual tone, as if what he was giving away was not a mansion worth tens of thousands of dollars, but just a small gadget.
Since that’s the case, if he dares to give it, Rongzhen will dare to accept it.
Seeing her accept it, Jiang Yu felt satisfied.
This was his compensation to her. Pretending to be her fiancé was a deception to her. He couldn't tell her the truth now, but he couldn't do nothing either.
Ah Cui, who couldn't read, later asked Rong Zhen curiously, "What did your uncle give you? You looked so happy to receive it."
"It's the title deed to our mansion." Rong Zhen was in a very good mood.
She now owns a house, which saves her a lot of trouble.
Ah Cui was even happier than she was after hearing this. It was different to be in her brother-in-law's house and to be in her own lady's territory, especially for servants like them who came with the dowry. The latter gave them more confidence.
After putting away the title deed, Rongzhen went out for dinner and found that the mansion had been decorated brand new. There were big red double happiness stickers everywhere, red lanterns hung high, and the servants were all in high spirits, as if it was Chinese New Year.
In this atmosphere, Jiang Yu sat at the dining table downstairs and waved at her, "Come."
Rongzhen walked over quickly and was led by Aunt Pang to sit opposite him.
On the table were four dishes and one soup carefully prepared by the chef Lao Yu. They were a combination of meat and vegetables, and the portions were generous, enough to fill the stomachs of two people.
Jiang Yu's hand was wrapped in gauze, but it did not affect its use. After Rong Zhen sat down, he took the initiative to scoop her a bowl of soup.
Rongzhen reciprocated and tried to use the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of vegetables for him.
Jiang Yu picked it up and ate it, then told her the news: "The wedding date has been set."
"When?" Rong Zhen was prepared, but she was still a little surprised when she heard him say that it would be five days later.
Considering the severity of his injuries, he will definitely not be able to recover in five days. Would he want to get married in this state by then?
Rongzhen: "Actually, I'm not in a hurry. We can do it after you recover from your injury."
By then, his memory will be restored, and he can leave after the ceremony, and she will have some free time.
The idea was good, but unfortunately the housekeeper was in a hurry and couldn't wait that long. Five days was the limit he could accept, and there was only one auspicious day for marriage this month. If he missed it, he would have to wait until next month.
Good things should be done as soon as possible. The sooner it is done, the easier it will be for him to go back with peace of mind.
Since he himself didn't mind, Rongzhen naturally had no objection either.
However, because of his appearance, he cannot be seen by outsiders, so no guests will be invited to the wedding. They will just hold it at home. I hope she doesn't mind.
Of course Rongzhen didn't mind. It was fake anyway and didn't count. The fewer people knew about it, the better.
"I'm sorry to have wronged you. Just ask for anything you want." Jiang Yu said as he put a chicken leg into her bowl.
Since Rongzhen Mansion is already in hand, why would he raise any other requests? "I don't have any requests for now, so let's leave it at that."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yu scooped another four-happiness meatball for her.
Rongzhen had unknowingly eaten a lot and wanted to go for a walk in the garden in front to help digest the food after dinner. Out of courtesy, she invited Jiang Yu along.
I thought he wouldn't go since he was wrapped up like that, but he agreed without hesitation.
Rongzhen pushed him towards Xiao Meilin.
"Little plum forest?" Jiang Yu looked at the sparse plum trees in front of him, unable to tell where they formed a forest.
Rong Zhen picked a plum blossom and played with it. "The name Plum Forest is just a concept, it doesn't mean there are many plum trees there."
Jiang Yu didn't understand what artistic conception was. He only knew that she was very dazzling as she picked up a flower and smiled beside the plum branch, even brighter and more brilliant than the warm winter sun shining down from above her head.
He watched her strolling leisurely among the plum trees, and his heart gradually calmed down as they enjoyed the quiet afternoon together.
When Mr. Li saw this scene when he came to the door, he didn't want to disturb them, but...
"What's the matter?" Jiang Yu asked with his back to him. He had already sensed his silent appearance behind him.
Mr. Li lowered his voice and replied, "Captain Nakata visited you in the hospital. Ostensibly, he wanted to hold the bureau responsible for the deaths of the five military police officers, but in reality, he seemed to want to personally confirm the extent of your injuries."
Jiang Yu caught a falling plum petal, twisted it between his fingertips and rubbed it gently, but the content of his words was not very gentle.
Jiang Yu: "Except for the one with the headshot, send all the other bodies to the police brigade. Let Fusang find a forensic doctor to examine them. Tell our people not to endure it and instead sue them for slander and make a big fuss."
"Yes." Mr. Li understood what he meant.
The bigger the commotion over there, the more it diverts some people's attention, and the easier it will be for them to act here.
Mr. Li: "Also, a new contact point has been set up. It's in the backyard of a medical clinic. The doctor in front is an old Chinese doctor who is proficient in acupuncture..."
Having said this, Jiang Yu's mind was as clear as a mirror.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, he raised his hand to signal. Mr. Li stopped talking and started talking about how skilled this old Chinese doctor was and how he had cured several people who had suffered cerebral congestion due to accidents.
When Rong Zhen came over and heard it, she immediately said to Jiang Yu, "Then quickly invite someone to take a look at you."
Mr. Li shook his head. "The old man doesn't see patients, so we have to go to him."
"I'm planning to go there this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?" Jiang Yu invited.
Mr. Li looked at him, not knowing what his intention was.
Rongzhen thought of her previous plan, nodded, lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing an embroidered shoe, and asked Mr. Li, "Can that old Chinese doctor treat feet?"
She wanted to check if there was anything wrong with her feet, which had been wearing small-sized shoes for years. If not, she would change to normal shoes in the future.
But as far as she knew, these days, apart from the foreign doctors in church hospitals, there were very few local doctors, especially the old Chinese medicine practitioners, who were willing to examine and treat women's feet.
Those foreign doctors will only recommend surgery, which has a high wound infection rate, is expensive, and requires a long recovery period, and the results may not be very good.
Rongzhen's foot is not in a condition that requires surgery now, so she plans to have a Chinese doctor feel her bones and check the condition first.
As she did this, her red embroidered shoes peeked out from under her skirt, revealing two mandarin ducks embracing each other lying on the shoe surface, the bright colors so eye-catching.
Jiang Yu took a look and let her put it down.
Mr. Li politely looked away and replied, "I don't know either. You can go and ask."
Rongzhen turned around to ask A Cui for money. The hem of her skirt spun in a graceful arc in the air, rolling up a few fallen plum petals and spinning them onto Jiang Yu's knees.
Jiang Yu picked up a petal and sniffed the plum fragrance. The head tied up like a mummy with the red plum blossoms was a bit funny.
Mr. Li struggled to suppress his laughter.
Suddenly, the director asked him, "Which do you think is prettier, the plum blossom or the duck?"
Mr. Li didn't know the situation and chose plum blossoms out of caution.
"Yes, it's plum blossoms. What's so beautiful about ducks?" Jiang Yu was very satisfied with his answer.
Mr. Li: "...That's not a duck, it's a mandarin duck."
"No matter if it's a duck or a mandarin duck, anything embroidered on a woman's shoes is not something that outsiders can casually look at. You have to be careful to avoid suspicion."
Mr. Li realized something from his words and looked up at Jiang Yu in surprise, but couldn't find anything unusual from him.
But he knew something was different.
The old Chinese doctor's clinic was in an alley outside the concession. When Rongzhen and his friends arrived, they saw many people queuing there, and most of them were refugees from other places with dark, thin faces and ragged clothes.
While praising the old Chinese doctor's compassionate heart, they waited in the cold wind with hope.
Rongzhen thought they also had to queue, but Mr. Li bypassed the long line in front and led them straight to the back door.
"In front are the old Chinese medicine doctor's apprentices practicing their skills at a free clinic. If you want to see him in person, you have to go in from here."
The courtyard at the back was quite large, with a medicine boy guarding the door to receive patients. Rongzhen and Acui were treated as female relatives and led to the guest room to wait. Only Jiang Yu, who came for treatment, and his introducer, Mr. Li, were allowed in.
Ah Cui asked the medicine boy, "We came here together, can't we go over and take a look?"
The medicine boy served them tea and apologized, "The old man doesn't allow outsiders to watch when he's giving acupuncture. That's the rule."
Rongzhen did not comment on this, but felt that if the other party was so particular, her trip might be in vain.
However, after half a cup of tea, an apprentice came to call them in.
Rongzhen asked A Cui to tip the medicine boy who kept them company and entertained them, then she stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked towards the clinic.
A Cui quickly stepped forward to help her lift the cotton door curtain, and a burst of hot air mixed with the fragrance of medicine blew towards her face.
The clinic is larger than it looks from the outside. Three of the four walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling lattice medicine cabinets, and the remaining wall has a door and a window. Next to the window is a long wooden table. An old Chinese doctor with gray hair sits behind the table, writing something with a brush.
Jiang Yu sat at the table. The bandage on his head had been replaced with a new one, and it looked like it was less bandaged than yesterday.
Rongzhen tiptoed over and asked, "How was the acupuncture? Did you try it?"
"Not bad, I feel a little better." Jiang Yu gave up half of the bench and motioned for her to sit down.
A Cui quickly took out a cotton handkerchief and put it on the bed.
After sitting down, Rongzhen asked him if he remembered anything.
Before Jiang Yu could answer, the old Chinese doctor, who was busy writing a prescription, said without even looking up, "Don't be impatient, young man. Acupuncture and massage are only to help the body recover as quickly as possible. They are not magical techniques. How can they be effective in one go?"
After saying that, he finally looked up, first looked at her complexion and tongue coating, then reached out to feel her pulse and asked her where she felt uncomfortable.
Rongzhen answered truthfully, "I'm not feeling unwell anywhere. I just wanted you to check if my foot bones are injured."
"You want to free your feet?"
The old Chinese doctor easily guessed what she meant, and his expression remained unchanged. It seemed that he was not as taboo about this as Rong Zhen had guessed before she came.
Ah Cui glanced at her son-in-law and took the initiative to explain on Rong Zhen's behalf: "My daughter's feet are not bound, but she was born with small feet, and she has been wearing small-sized shoes since she was a child."
Rongzhen then expressed her concerns, "Given my height, my feet shouldn't be this small, so I wanted you to check if there's anything wrong. I'd also like to know if it would affect me if I change to a larger size shoe in the future."
If the foot bones have been deformed by years of compression, you must not let go rashly. You need the help of an osteopathic doctor to slowly correct them. Otherwise, you may gradually start to walk with a limp.
Although she doesn't feel anything now, she still needs to take precautions.
"I have to take a look at the situation first." The old Chinese doctor did not refuse and seemed very open-minded.
But what he meant by "take a look" was not what Rong Zhen had expected, that is, to feel her bones himself. This kind of palpation method, which was very normal in later generations, would not work in this era that was still bound by feudal ethics.
He was a pioneer in the medical field by agreeing to check the feet of female relatives, but it was not allowed for him to feel their bones with his own hands.
Therefore, this job requires help.
Jiang Yu folded up his sleeves and said without hesitation, "I'll do it."
He had studied the human skeletal structure diagram, had some basic knowledge of surgical medicine, and was also Rong Zhen's nominal fiancé. No one present was more suitable than him.
"You are her husband, of course you should come, no one will compete with you." The old Chinese doctor said unintentionally, and Mr. Li looked sideways slightly.
He looked at the director who lowered his head and rolled up his sleeves, and the vague guess in his mind became clearer.
It is said that even a hero cannot resist the temptation of a beautiful woman. Could it be that this thousand-year-old iron tree, which has never understood romance, really wants to bloom?
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