“I’ve read his articles—they’re very good. He’s got a sharp mind. Some were jealous of him for being a Wuxian stipend student at seventeen and tried to sabotage him during the imperial exams, but he fought back. That’s rare. Most people would be terrified or put on a show of arrogance. But he handled it with finesse.”
“That’s good. Ma Taitai told me about a candidate from a hereditary hundred-household family. Your pick seems better.”
Mei Shi murmured.
Xu Erpeng chuckled, “Ma Taitai has daughters too. Everyone has their biases. Even if there were a good match, she might not recommend it to you. After all, her daughter married into the Household of the Chief Inspector.”
Mei Shi sighed, “But you say this boy’s family is wealthy with officials and talents. Would he really want us?”
“That’s why I’m hiring Nun Mo. I asked around his household. The Shao Gong Zi doesn’t like studying but envies his brothers who are officials, so he’s obsessed with officialdom. He’s already betrothed his eldest son to the daughter of a vice commander, but dislikes her being from a military family. He wants his other sons to marry both wealthy and scholarly families.”
“Our family fits. I’m a stipend student, paid the examination fee, and have shops and property, but compared to the Zhao family of the carriage and horse business and Tong Jiansheng’s youngest daughter, we have fewer advantages. So I’m taking a gamble.”
Xu Erpeng spread his hands.
The Zhao family’s business was bigger, Tong Jiansheng held official posts in Suzhou Prefecture, and their family was an outsider with a thin foundation and no influence.
“So that’s how it is.”
Mei Shi said, “But forced matches aren’t always good matches.”
“You don’t understand. In our bookstore, we use every method to fight for business. Why can’t we do the same for sons-in-law? If we don’t fight, we only get leftovers. If I didn’t find a breakthrough, it wouldn’t matter. But I know Shao Gong Zi listens to Shao Er Taitai, who loves Buddhism dearly. Isn’t that a match made in heaven?”
Xu Erpeng was increasingly convinced.
Mei Shi asked cautiously, “What about Shao Er Taitai? If you praise her so much, will our daughter be treated well?”
Xu Erpeng pressed his hands down, signaling her to calm down.
“Shao Er Taitai is somewhat aloof and charitable. She has three sons and two daughters and a good relationship with Shao Gong Zi. She’s definitely capable. A smart person with means is better than a clueless fool.”
“Besides, would marrying into a poor family be any better? Some poor families who suddenly get rich are even worse. They get rich, rise in rank, lose their wives, and always want better ones. Rich families, if somewhat proper, are more stable. The Shao family rose in status, and Shao Er Taitai, originally a small official’s daughter, still holds her place. If the Shao family splits, our daughter knows medicine. If she gets a pharmacy, she won’t worry for half her life.”
Mei Shi glanced at her husband.
“Looks like you’ve made up your mind about this son-in-law. I won’t say more.”
While the couple plotted, Zhu Yiniang also had worries.
Her daughter’s marriage was set, and her son was eighteen.
The Old Madam seemed inclined to match him with Qin Zhi Lan, but she disagreed and discussed it with her daughter Cheng Yin.
“Your brother is going into officialdom. How can he marry an orphan? But I’m powerless.”
Cheng Yin said, “Others are fine, but the Big Mistress is determined to match them. She’s trying to spite us.”
“Everyone knows, but she’s the legitimate wife, and I’m just a concubine.”
Zhu Yiniang usually didn’t care.
She was loved by her husband and had both son and daughter, so her life was better than the Big Mistress’s.
But status-wise, she was just a concubine.
When it came to her son’s marriage, Zhu Yiniang could only hint at the men, but the Big Mistress could openly raise it before the Old Madam and Eldest Master because she was the Fourth Master’s birth mother.
Cheng Yin snorted coldly.
“That’s all she’s got. Aunt, what should we do?”
“I won’t let her get away with scheming against my son. I won’t spare her daughter either,” Zhu Yiniang vowed fiercely.
Hearing this, Cheng Yin felt some pity.
Though she wasn’t close with Cheng Yuan and Cheng Shu, she had no major conflicts.
But her position dictated her stance, so she agreed.
Cheng Yuan wasn’t stupid.
She always urged her mother to arrange her marriage quickly.
Madam Zeng trusted the Eldest Master and even scolded her, “You’re a girl; why arrange your own marriage? Don’t worry, your father has it under control. He already told me.”
“Told you?”
Cheng Yuan was incredulous.
The Big Mistress reassured her daughter but didn’t elaborate.
Cheng Yuan suddenly recalled why she had chosen Lu Shian in her past life.
It was because she heard her marriage was arranged by Zhu Yiniang, so she picked a talented scholar from a poor family.
But her hatred for Lu Shian made her forget all this.
After reincarnation, she realized she could not change her mother’s nature.
At home, she had no say. Feeling stifled, she went out for a walk as the sun set.
She saw Miaozhen, who was bowed and looked exhausted.
She greeted her hurriedly.
Miaozhen didn’t expect to meet the Third Mistress here and quickly paid her respects.
Jishi had just returned from her outing, relieved but tense, always worried about her pregnancy.
“Greetings, Third Mistress.”
Cheng Yuan looked at her, “Why do you look so out of sorts?”
Miaozhen didn’t want to say it was because of Jishi’s tiring trip and replied, “I always get distracted in autumn. How about you? Why are you out in this cold late autumn?”
“I ate too much at lunch and felt uncomfortable, so I came out to walk.”
Cheng Yuan thought that although Miaozhen was from a humble background, she had a good father.
When Lu Shian was slandered during the theater incident, Miaozhen’s father reportedly rallied people to indirectly target Lu Shian.
Thinking this over, she felt somewhat guilty toward Miaozhen, given that her husband supposedly cold-shouldered Miaozhen and even bullied her.
So Cheng Yuan invited Miaozhen for tea the next day.
Miaozhen smiled, “I’d like to go, but Big Mistress needs some care, and the Old Madam’s place also requires a visit.”
Now, Miaozhen truly felt that a gentleman’s friendship was best kept plain.
She often sympathized with the widowed Big Mistress and kept her company, but when the Big Mistress involved her in so many troubles and threats, Miaozhen feigned ignorance and endured.
If she refused the money, the Er Mistress would suspect her of leaking secrets; if she accepted it, any small dissatisfaction would lead to accusations of theft.
She was done making friends with these Tai Tai, Old Madams, and Guniang.
Back in her room, she quickly had water brought, washed up, and went straight to bed.
Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, Gu Mama came with others to fetch her.
The new Yiniang in the main house was unwell.
“What’s wrong?”
Miaozhen rubbed her eyes and yawned, barely able to open them.
Gu Mama said, “I don’t know exactly. The Eldest Master and Big Mistress have already gone. It can’t be taken lightly.”
Miaozhen didn’t hesitate.
She quickly changed, had Xiao Xi braid her hair, grabbed her medicine box, and rushed over.
That new Yiniang was extremely favored—initially sharing power with Zhu Yiniang, but in the end almost taking half.
Miaozhen had never met her before, and now under such circumstances.
The room smelled of blood, a dark crowd gathered.
The whole scene was chilling, with the Yiniang’s face pale and blackened.
The Eldest Master was extremely anxious.
Zhu Yiniang looked heartbroken, and the Big Mistress was shouting something.
As Miaozhen entered, all eyes turned to her.
She calmly asked the Yiniang’s maid, “What happened to Yiniang?”
The maid sobbed, voice trembling, “Last night she had a bowl of bird’s nest soup, then this happened.”
Miaozhen sniffed the soup.
There was a medicinal herb scent.
“How did they put herbs in bird’s nest soup?”
She hurriedly took the Yiniang’s pulse and examined her hands—her nails and fingers pale and bluish.
After a few breaths, she said, “Yiniang is pregnant but accidentally took poison. The bleeding is due to her injury disturbing the fetus.”
Because of Jishi, Miaozhen had read too many palace intrigue dramas in her previous life and had prepared many medicines in advance from the Comprehensive Prescriptions for Women for cases like pregnancy poisoning and hemorrhage.
She hadn’t expected to use them now.
The weakened Yiniang looked at Miaozhen.
“Miss Xu, am I really pregnant? Is the child all right? I don’t mind, just the child.”
“That depends if the child is harmed. I have a pill made from tree peony bark, white poria, cinnamon heart, peach kernel, and red peony root. I’ll have someone prepare vinegar soup for you. Chew and swallow one pill. If the fetus is fine, you and the child will be safe. If it’s already dead, it will induce a miscarriage.”
Miaozhen said this while quickly fetching vinegar and warm water.
She acted swiftly, taking the pill from her medicine box and administering it to Yiniang.
The Big Mistress saw the bleeding slow and the tightly gripped handkerchief loosen.
Knowing Yiniang was pregnant, she quietly covered her face.
Zhu Yiniang couldn’t help but provoke another Tongfang to act, and she didn’t stop it.
If Yiniang lost her child, and it was discovered Zhu Yiniang was behind it, they would be at each other’s throats, allowing a third party to benefit.
Unexpectedly, the Xu Medical Woman’s quick arrival ruined this plan!
Meanwhile, the Eldest Master was already in his study.
Hearing the fetus was saved, he hurried to reward Miaozhen, offering silks and gauze.
Miaozhen declined, already possessing ample cloth.
She was lucky not to be dragged into such dark family matters.
In this poisoning incident, the Tongfang who poisoned her was beaten forty strokes and sent to the village.
Zhu Yiniang, relieved to avoid involvement, dared not act again.
The Big Mistress’s wish to watch from the sidelines was dashed, and Yiniang experienced the true horror of household struggles for the first time.
Cheng Da Laoye, no wonder he had once been in charge, immediately added Miaozhen’s name to the Famous Physician Chronicles, even carving it on a stone tablet.
Of course, the record was not about the concubine’s dark family matters but about Miaozhen curing Cheng Laotaitai.
Miaozhen became the sole beneficiary of this whole affair!