It was the ninth month of the golden autumn, the Double Ninth Festival once again, and unknowingly, a full year had passed since Xu Miaozhen arrived at the Cheng Family.
Since Yu Zhoujin left, although there was an additional visit to the Old Madam’s place for medical care, things had actually become less hectic.
Ji Zhenjie was an extremely fair person; although she specialized in minor pulse diagnoses, she was also capable of assisting in other departments.
She and Miaozhen split the patients evenly, taking turns on night duty, which made the workload much lighter.
Xiao Tao brought in a box containing slices of sweet melon, while Xiao Xi carried a bundle of silver-red plain silk, a bolt of blue thread gauze, and a bolt of pure moon-white gauze.
Inside the box were several Chrysanthemum Festival rice cakes.
Miaozhen had them share the treats before placing the measuring ruler back into the wardrobe.
Her current chest trunk was already full, so she was thinking of asking Gu Mama to help her find an old trunk to store more belongings.
“Miss, I just heard that Third Mistress invited you to help someone with medical treatment outside—is that true?”
Xiao Xi asked.
Miaozhen nodded.
“It’s true. This family manages the Cheng Family’s shops and land. Third Mistress said they give her two thousand taels of silver each year and even arranged a large mansion for her to live in. They’re considered quite an influential household.”
Xiao Tao smiled, “That’s truly respectable.”
“That respect is earned by their own efforts. Although some people live comfortably relying on ancestral prestige or leftover blessings, as the saying goes, ‘the grace of a gentleman lasts five generations and then fades away.’ In the end, it’s the capable who thrive.”
After transmigrating, Miaozhen had seen those like her eldest uncle who started with high status but met unfortunate ends, as well as families like hers, who were once poor but had now become moderately wealthy.
In short, one had to rely on oneself.
Finishing her words, Miaozhen began cutting some plain white cloth brought from Suzhou for making her waist sash.
Each bolt of this fabric cost four taels and eight qian of silver.
Miaozhen’s outerwear was simple, but she frequently changed her inner garments like waistbands and underpants, which were not available outside.
Mostly, the two maids helped her with these, though she also made some in her spare time.
Xiao Tao went off to rest outside while Xiao Xi ate some snacks and tidied up the small messes.
Unexpectedly, Gu Mama came back with an elderly woman.
The woman, about sixty years old, was suffering from sudden heavy bleeding.
Gu Mama told Miaozhen, “She had already gone through menopause, but I don’t know how she’s started bleeding again.”
Miaozhen had the woman sit down and didn’t rush to judge. Instead, she asked, “When did you stop menstruating?”
The woman replied, “I went through menopause at forty-nine and haven’t had a period since. I don’t know how it started again this time. There are blood clots, dizziness, and ringing in my ears. Xu Medical Woman, everyone says you’re skilled. Please, you must help me.”
“Don’t worry. Tell me your symptoms slowly.”
As Miaozhen questioned her, she learned that the woman’s knees felt weak and sore, and she was irritable and easily annoyed.
Examining her tongue, Miaozhen noticed it was red with little coating, then said, “Let me feel your pulse.”
While feeling her pulse, the woman recounted how she had taken aromatic ashes and talisman water with no effect, seemingly wanting to pour out all her worries to Miaozhen.
Miaozhen understood completely.
Even in modern times, many women dread gynecological exams.
After the pulse diagnosis, she said, “Your pulse is thin and rapid, with strong heart fire. This is a symptom of kidney yin deficiency. There should be ready-made formulas at the apothecary. You can buy Gu Jing Wan and Er Zhi Wan to take together—that’s the fastest way.”
The woman said, “Medicine from the manor’s pharmacy is free…”
“That’s my mistake. I’ll write you a prescription.”
Miaozhen wrote the formula and handed it to her.
Sometimes she made such common-sense mistakes; her thought was that prepared medicine could be taken quickly, while decocted herbs took time.
After all, the people here belonged to the manor.
But many cared about whether they could avoid the consultation fees and medicine costs.
Since her condition was more serious, Miaozhen asked Xiao Xi to go down and inform the kitchen that the medicine needed to be decocted first.
The next day, Third Mistress arranged a carriage for Miaozhen.
She carried her medicine box over to a residence with five rooms facing the street—a deep courtyard that looked like a smaller version of the Cheng mansion.
A rather respectable steward’s wife came out to receive her and introduced herself, “Our Mistress is well-known both inside and outside the family. Most of our master’s business is handled by her.”
“That’s impressive,” Miaozhen sincerely praised.
Even Third Mistress of the Cheng Family only managed household affairs and could not involve herself in the front office.
Hearing this, the steward’s wife became even more enthusiastic, “Indeed, with shops all over the north and south provinces, it all relies on her.”
Originally, Miaozhen expected to meet a worldly and shrewd woman, but the Mistress turned out to be a cold beauty who seemed untouched by worldly affairs, lying quietly on a beauty couch with her eyes half-closed.
Occasionally, she coughed.
“Madam, Xu Medical Woman has arrived,” the steward’s wife said and stood respectfully.
Mrs. Qin only then opened her eyes and hurried to stand to greet her, but Miaozhen said, “Please remain lying down. May I know what symptoms you have?”
Mrs. Qin was not fond of socializing, but as a businesswoman, she often had to engage in superficial formalities.
She had expected some small talk, but since Miaozhen got straight to the point, she felt relieved.
“I’m about three or four months pregnant. For some reason, my tongue is dry and my throat sore. That’s manageable by drinking more water, but sometimes when I feel unwell like this, I bleed as if it were my usual menstruation.”
“Hm, I understand. Have you seen a doctor about this?”
Mrs. Qin nodded, “I did. One said I had too much internal heat, another said it was a cold wind illness, but after taking several prescriptions, there’s no improvement.”
After taking her pulse, Miaozhen looked at her and said, “The lungs and kidneys are mother and child organs. When kidney water is insufficient, kidney fire tends to act recklessly, and heat harms the child in your womb. The saying goes, ‘the lungs are the mother of the kidneys.’ The lungs belong to metal, the kidneys to water, and metal generates water. As long as the lungs are nourished and have sufficient moisture, they can nourish kidney water. This way, your illness will improve.”
In just a few words, Miaozhen prescribed four doses of Run Zao An Tai Tang.
Mrs. Qin’s servants hurried off to the apothecary, and Miaozhen quickly took her leave, saying she would come back for a follow-up in two days.
Mrs. Qin hadn’t expected that after two doses, her dry mouth and throat symptoms would disappear.
When Miaozhen returned, she was bent over writing something but stood to greet her warmly.
“Xu Medical Woman, thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing. It’s my duty,” Miaozhen replied.
Somehow, when she first started this work, she was very passionate, but now she just wanted to get things done quickly and lie down at home.
After taking her pulse, Miaozhen told her to continue taking eight doses until the fetal restlessness symptoms vanished.
Mrs. Qin looked at Miaozhen gratefully, surely unaware of how deeply thankful she was inside.
She had suffered from this unpleasant condition for so long, and Miaozhen had cured it—it was truly remarkable.
Not one for many words, she prepared sixteen taels of silver, two bolts of brocade, two pairs of wool socks, two jin of silk thread, ten handkerchiefs, and ten golden embroidered sweat towels as gifts.
They also held a banquet to specially invite Miaozhen.
Learning Miaozhen was from Suzhou Prefecture and was invited by the Cheng Family to serve as a medical attendant, Mrs. Qin said, “Miss Xu, if you ever return home, you shouldn’t let your medical skills go to waste. If you could open a clinic, that would truly benefit the people.”
“I’ve thought about it, but as you know, it’s inconvenient for a young lady to go out. I can see patients, but I can’t go out to buy or select herbs. Usually, I can’t leave the house. After thinking it over, I decided it’s best not to.”
Honestly, she didn’t quite trust the servants to handle everything, but she also couldn’t go out herself.
Especially after the setup with Third Master and his wife, if she weren’t cautious, her reputation would be ruined.
Even such a respectable big family had dirty dealings, let alone the petty thieves outside.
Mrs. Qin smiled wryly at her own words, “You’re right. In our household, I am the one who handles social calls.”
She laughed, “Nowadays, even just going to a fragrance gathering or an incense ceremony is subject to gossip.”
Miaozhen chuckled, “Exactly. I wanted to meet with one of my handkerchief friends, but even that is not allowed.”
The two grew more congenial as they talked.
Miaozhen learned that Mrs. Qin’s family name was Wei, with the given name Wan.
She had an excellent memory and was skilled in astrology and numerology, running the business very well.
“The wealthy families in Zhejiang mostly made fortunes trading salt. Your region of Jiangnan prospered through sericulture and weaving, while the northwest dealt in furs and cloth, and Sichuan and Guangdong mainly sold medicinal herbs and precious stones. The most profitable was still the tea and salt monopoly, but not everyone could get access to that.”
Miaozhen listened to these business lessons with great interest.
She guessed that the Cheng Family’s wealth probably came from tea and salt trade as well.
After all, they had several officials in the family; ordinary households would not have such connections.
This meal was greatly beneficial—not only did she gain wealth in material gifts, but her heart was enriched as well.
Back in her room, Miaozhen gave Xiao Xi and Xiao Tao each a handkerchief and a golden embroidered sweat towel.
Just after she finished distributing them, Ji Zhenjie came upstairs to invite her to her birthday banquet, and Miaozhen agreed.
“Miaozhen had seen those like her eldest uncle who started with high status but met unfortunate ends,”
Eh feel like it’s more that he started out lying about being higher status and eventually those lies caught up to him.
Like I remember Xu Erpeng musing that a) he was isolated for a few years because he was honest with his classmates about his parents’ jobs and b) his eldest brother always seemed to be able to find patrons while he couldn’t.
At the time he thought it was because his brother was better than him but considering the fake Jiangshen certificate plus all the extra stuff we know about he’s more like a puss in boots who peaked in high school.
Able to go from rags to riches once but not to maintain those riches or do it again.