“Big Mistress, I took your pulse but found nothing unusual. Perhaps it’s just the change of seasons causing some discomfort in your body.”
Miaozhen thought to herself that if she were to expose this matter, she would inevitably have to take responsibility for it.
Yet this was not something she could afford to cover up, and who knew?
It might even bring her fatal trouble.
The Big Mistress looked at her as if at a lifeline.
“Miss Xu, don’t pretend—I know—”
“Big Mistress, as a physician, I only treat the sick. You’re not ill, so you shouldn’t be taking medicine recklessly.”
Miaozhen interrupted her before she could speak further.
Everyone was pretending not to know, which was just as well.
Whether it was about terminating or carrying the pregnancy to term, this was something that could not be made public.
Miaozhen never imagined the Big Mistress would so openly deny her pregnancy.
When the Big Mistress tried to say more, Miaozhen quickly replied, “Big Mistress, last time I cured your illness, and the Er Mistress quietly rewarded me. If you have worries, you might as well take them to the Er Mistress.”
Having said that, she hurried away, only relaxing after she reached the doorway.
In the end, the Big Mistress secretly told the Er Mistress.
After hearing it, the Er Mistress first asked who the father was, but the Big Mistress bit her lip and refused to say, only replying, “Anyway, I won’t keep this child.”
“Such a sin, such a sin,” the Er Mistress murmured.
She and her husband had always been loving, but their children had misfortunes.
Her daughter was widowed, her son was immature, and they didn’t compare to the children of concubines.
The Big Mistress just cried, then said, “I asked Xu Medical Woman for help. I originally wanted her to help me, but she just played dumb.”
The Er Mistress quickly scolded, “How could you tell her? There are too many gossipers. What if your secret leaks out? Here’s what we’ll do—your father is about to take up his new post. You will go with him. On the way, we will terminate this child, and then no one will find out.”
“Yes, Mother. I will do as you say.”
The Big Mistress had expected a scolding but was surprised by the swift plan.
At the same time, the Er Mistress added, “Now that Xu Medical Woman knows, then—”
“Killing to silence her?” the Big Mistress asked.
The Er Mistress was speechless.
“She’s a grown woman. How could we kill her? You give me a hundred taels. I’ll bribe her to keep quiet. Two hundred would be too much—it might make her think your secret is valuable. One hundred is just right. Of course, this is also a warning. If we find out this secret has leaked, we’ll accuse her of theft and have her thrown out.”
Seeing her mother so confident, the Big Mistress finally relaxed.
Miaozhen of course understood the Er Mistress’s meaning but pretended to know nothing, accepting the hot potato of one hundred taels.
She hoped the Cheng family didn’t know she would be returning home soon after the New Year, so by then she wouldn’t have to deal with these secrets.
She acted as if she knew nothing about the Big Mistress’s matter.
Once the Second Master left for his post in Fujian and the Er Mistress and others departed with him, her anxious heart finally eased.
By then, it was already October, and in the south, October still did not require wearing padded clothes.
Ji Zhenjie brought over a meal and ate with her, asking, “Why do you look so troubled? Are you all right?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking—you’re probably betrothed soon and might marry before long. I’ll be alone here.”
Miaozhen changed the subject.
Ji Zhenjie said, “My home is nearby. Even if I don’t live in the mansion, if they need anything, they can come to me. But you—don’t be like me, an old maid. I had to settle for a forced marriage and was looked down upon. But a girl must marry in the end…”
As Ji Zhenjie rambled on, Miaozhen’s mind drifted elsewhere.
After the meal, Cheng Laotaitai said she had caught a chill yesterday when visiting the Xifu, so Miaozhen told Ji Zhenjie, “I’ll leave first.”
At this age, the only one still able to move about was this old co-wife.
The Xifu Old Madam was quite interesting.
Since Yu Zhoujin left, she had never mentioned her name once, as if the person never existed.
Miaozhen thought that surviving in a large household meant knowing what to say and what not to say—everyone was clear on the rules.
She went over and took the pulse.
It was just a common cold, so she prescribed a formula and handed it to the Old Madam’s chief maid, Springxian.
The Old Madam then asked about Jishi’s pregnancy.
“Is everything well with your Big Mistress?”
“All is well. Big Mistress is peacefully nurturing her pregnancy, please rest assured,” Miaozhen replied.
Jishi was indeed cautious; her pregnancy was difficult to achieve.
She had also helped Miaozhen’s father, all so others would properly care for her.
But there was one matter she was worried about.
“You mean there was a woman’s sweat towel in Da Ye’s luggage?”
“Yes.”
The Tongfang glanced at Jishi, then lowered her head.
She had originally been Jishi’s dowry maid but was chosen as a Tongfang after Jishi’s pregnancy.
She had a face, and two more young maids served her.
Unfortunately, although Da Ye also came to her, he never stopped his infidelities outside.
Jishi gave the Tongfang maid a sidelong glance.
“If you truly care about me, this thing shouldn’t have appeared before me. Now you expect me to make a scene so you can reap the benefits?”
The Tongfang maid was terrified and quickly knelt down.
No matter how brave she was, she dared not defy Jishi.
If she had kept quiet, Jishi might have accused her of covering for Da Ye, but now she could not defend herself without going against the Old Madam’s words.
So she kept kowtowing.
Jishi, however, didn’t want her head to be bruised from kneeling.
That would make others think she was weak.
So she squinted and said, “Go kneel under the eaves on the west side, on the tiles. Kneel there for two hours and then come back.”
The Tongfang maid hurried off.
When Miaozhen arrived, she saw the Tongfang girl, once so proud, now kneeling on tiles, her hand supporting her head, wobbling.
It was pitiful to see, but Miaozhen dared not stare.
She entered Jishi’s room without mentioning what she had seen and first took Jishi’s pulse.
“The pulse is fine, though the liver fire is a bit heavy. It’s probably the dryness of late autumn. You can drink some white fungus and quail soup.”
Jishi didn’t want to talk about her husband’s infidelities to an outsider.
She leaned back on her pillow and sighed softly.
“People outside think we live in golden cages, but they don’t know we have troubles too.”
Miaozhen comforted her, “Life is full of disappointments. Try to see it more lightly.”
“Yes. I’m thinking of going to Jin Xu An to offer incense soon. You can come with me. If anything happens to me, you’ll still be by my side.”
Jishi was growing impatient and wanted some fresh air.
Miaozhen had no choice but to agree, “I’ll bring one of my maids and one who prepares medicines.”
She had to leave one maid behind to watch the house and guard her belongings.
Though Miaozhen disapproved of Jishi going out while pregnant—it was too risky—Jishi insisted, so Miaozhen followed cautiously.
“Whatever you decide,” Jishi said, wanting to pray devoutly, hoping to bear a big, strong boy.
When Miaozhen left, she heard Jishi discussing with her foster mother how much rice and cloth to send to the temple.
She glanced at the Tongfang girl kneeling on the tiles and shook her head.
With such charity, why not share it with those around you?
Before she transmigrated, Miaozhen always thought being a concubine was terrible.
But now, living in this environment, her perspective changed.
Not everyone had the right to choose. Whether the maids around Jishi became concubines or Tongfangs was decided by their masters.
Their contracts were in others’ hands, leaving them powerless.
Li Yao’e was undoubtedly clever.
She saw through Jishi’s schemes and Cheng Junze’s womanizing and planned early.
Her husband was said to be the one who served Da Ye, and she clearly had an intimate relationship with Da Ye. Yet she used her lover to find a marriage match for herself—bold and cunning.
Yu Zhoujin appeared sharp on the surface, counting on support from the Xifu, determined to become Da Ye’s concubine.
Yet, in the end, she fell.
Miaozhen once thought it was a twist of fate, but later realized it was no accident.
When Jishi sent Li Yao’e to treat her daughter’s illness, she gave direct orders for Li Yao’e to come.
But when it was her turn, Jishi made a big detour.
After Yu Zhoujin replaced her, Jishi and the Third Mistress were almost destroyed together.
Besides her own scheming, whether Jishi helped escalate things remains unknown.
A few days later, Miaozhen accompanied Jishi on an outing.
She was somewhat honored, even riding in a sedan chair.
Being jostled about, Miaozhen surprisingly felt sleepy and yawned repeatedly.
She guessed that after always having to think hard, now that she didn’t need to, her body relaxed and craved sleep.
Jishi, however, was unusually energetic.
After getting out of the sedan chair and seeing Miaozhen’s drowsiness, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed.
“You usually look so capable and sharp, but now you seem so dizzy. This actually makes you seem like a young girl—normally, you’re too steady.”
Sometimes, Jishi would joke with them, acting very approachable.
Miaozhen responded cautiously, “Big Mistress, please don’t joke with us.”
Jishi raised an eyebrow and, holding her maid’s hand, entered the temple.
Miaozhen followed.
To her, most of the monks and nuns at these temples were con artists.
She usually kept her distance.
But they were well-informed and often moved through wealthy households, arranging marriages, managing lawsuits, and even loaning money, weaving through it all.
At this time, Xu Erpeng was having Mei Shi give twenty taels of silver, six dou of green beans, and a stone of grain to a nun named Mo Chou to help find a match for their daughter.
“That much money?”
Mei Shi thought her husband was being too generous.
Xu Erpeng smiled, “Tell her that if it succeeds, there will be a generous reward.”
This son-in-law was his pick.
His family ran a tea and medicine business, and his uncle was a county magistrate.
He was exceptionally handsome and talented, albeit somewhat arrogant and sharp-tongued, but already a scholar at seventeen.
Such a candidate was not to be missed.
“Those nuns with their flowery mouths, twisting truth and lies, every wealthy family’s women fall for them. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary means.”
Xu Erpeng didn’t think he was doing wrong.
Mei Shi looked at her husband.
“Is this Shao Gong Zi really that good?”
Xu Erpeng explained, “Let me tell you. He’s from a prominent Suzhou family. His great uncle is the Tax Division Commissioner, his brother is a medical officer in Wuxian, and his uncle is an official in Kaifeng Prefecture. Their tea and medicine business is legit. Not everyone can get a Tea Permit.”
“That’s true, but how did you choose him?”
Mei Shi wanted details.
She had her own candidate in mind.
If her husband’s pick had flaws, she could promote hers instead.
If not, she would stay silent.