Miao Zhen wanted to study medicine, and her father agreed.
Xu Father was actually a rather farsighted man.
He even went out of his way to ask around, believing that “to do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools.”
So, he said to his daughter,
“The Medicine King, Sun Simiao, once said, ‘Anyone who wishes to become a great physician must be well-versed in the Su Wen, Jia Yi, Huangdi Zhenjing, Mingtang Liuzhu, the twelve meridians, the three parts and nine indicators, the five viscera and six bowels, the exterior and interior acupoints, materia medica pairings, the classic formulas of Zhang Zhongjing, Wang Shuhe,”
“Ruan Henan, Fan Dongyang, Zhang Miao, Jin Shao, and others; one must also skillfully understand the physiognomy of yin-yang fate as discussed by various schools, as well as the five divinations of burning turtle shells, the six ren of the Zhouyi, and master them thoroughly. You, my child, should first study hard, or else you’ll end up like those mediocre female doctors and herbalists.’”
“I’ll buy these books for you first. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll explain it to you. Then, you can go on to study the Book of Changes. Once you’ve achieved something, it’ll be easier for me to take you to seek out a famous physician.”
He was worried that his daughter’s interest might be fleeting, so he needed to see if she could stick with it.
Besides, while his daughter worked hard, he could also manage the shop, gradually gaining some standing and not be looked down upon when seeking a master.
At the end of the year, after Xu Erpeng received seventy taels as a writing fee, he bought his daughter an acupuncture bronze figure and also purchased the Nanjing, Mai Jue, and Danxi Xinfang for her to study on her own in her spare time.
The rest of the money he gave to Mei Shi to keep.
When the New Year approached and the academy closed, Miao Zhen brought out her medical books to study.
After all, modern acupuncture and massage were quite different from the ancient methods—modern medicine used electroacupuncture and pulse techniques, and even had various auxiliary means like X-rays, whereas in ancient times everything depended on dialectical diagnosis.
A tiny mistake could lead to a huge error.
The closer it got to the New Year, the better Xu San Shu’s tea and snack shop business became.
In the past, there would be leftovers each day for everyone at home, but now they couldn’t even make enough, and even Miaolian had to be pulled in to help.
Xu Erpeng wasn’t idle either; even during the New Year, he kept working, rarely spending more than an hour out for a meal.
Every day, he was writing, and he even regretted that he’d only earned seventy taels last year, feeling it was too little.
So, when Xu Da Lang returned home with his wife and daughter, he found that while other families were busy celebrating the New Year, everyone in their family was caught up with their own affairs, and there was hardly any festive atmosphere at all.
His job at the academy wasn’t going smoothly, either.
Others assumed he was a gongjian, and some even asked which year he had passed the Xiucai exam.
He replied casually, only for someone to say they knew someone from the same year and wanted to introduce them.
This left him flustered…
Xu Erpeng knew nothing of this.
All he knew was that, when he was young, his eldest brother was a distant goal he could never reach.
His brother was handsome and had benefactors, while he himself was ordinary and could only rely on himself.
His brother was clever and favored by teachers, while he could barely scrape by, and his luck wasn’t great either.
Every year, when visiting his wife’s family for the New Year, his brothers-in-law would subtly compare him to his brother, who was the family favorite and even contributed a thousand taels.
The two brothers were worlds apart.
So, when he heard that his eldest brother wanted to resign from the academy, saying he didn’t get along with others, Xu Erpeng found it odd.
Inside, as Miao Zhen read her medical books, she overheard the two brothers’ conversation and suddenly remembered an old saying: “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.”
She had to work hard too!
Compared to Miao Zhen poring over medical texts, her eldest sister, Miao Yun, was becoming more and more like a lady from a prominent family.
Her posture and table manners were different from ordinary girls, and she looked very elegant.
Even Mei Shi praised her,
“Eldest girl is truly becoming more outstanding.”
“Sister-in-law, don’t praise her too much,”
Huang Shi said, though she was secretly proud.
Huang Shi thought that if her daughter became a private tutor for girls in the future, not only would she have income, but she could also enter and exit the homes of wealthy families.
For girls from modest households, social advancement was only possible this way.
Her daughter was even better than herself—plain-looking and just a Xiucai’s daughter.
But her own daughter was a gongsheng’s child, inherited her father’s looks, and was quite pretty.
If she could marry into a wealthy family, that would be the best outcome.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Xu Erpeng quickly had the sacrificial pig’s head returned to the butcher.
Xu Da Lang was puzzled,
“Since it was used for the sacrifice, why return it?”
“It was rented to begin with. There are shops specializing in renting pigs and sheep for sacrifices these days. Big brother, you really are out of touch with the world,”
Xu Erpeng teased.
Xu Da Lang felt a bit offended, thinking that since his younger brother became a Xiucai, he’d grown arrogant.
But really, it wasn’t others who had changed; it was that he was no longer the one being praised by everyone.
The second brother was a Xiucai, the third brother’s business was booming, and although he still had higher social status, he hadn’t contributed any money during the New Year, which surely caused some silent resentment.
Mei Shi was about to give birth, so she had grass paper, swaddling cloths, and small bedding prepared.
With money in hand and helpers around, she felt much more at ease.
Xu Erpeng also paid two taels in advance to hire a well-known midwife from the neighborhood.
With everything ready, Mei Shi safely gave birth to a son on the eighth day of the first lunar month, single-named Jian.
Everyone said it was quite the coincidence—
Miao Zhen was born on the fifteenth of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, and Jian Ge’er was born on the eighth.
The siblings were both born in the same month.
After Mei Shi gave birth, a maternal aunt from the Mei family came to visit and gifted a silver neck ring, then left before even having lunch.
Miao Zhen heard that this aunt disliked the lingering odor of the Xu household and didn’t want to stay long.
She understood this was just a sign that people looked down on their family for being poor.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was Miao Zhen’s birthday.
Her father bought her a copy of Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang and brought home some delicate pastries.
Mei Shi had Fengniang cook her a bowl of longevity noodles with two eggs.
After finishing the noodles, Mei Shi promised to take her to see the Chuntai Opera once she was through her confinement.
The fifth wu day after the Beginning of Spring was the Spring She Festival, and Chuntai Opera was always performed around this time, also called Shexi.
Every year, her parents would take her to watch.
The men crowded in front, the women watched from behind wooden fences, and there were vendors nearby selling bean drinks, which were delicious.
Her days in ancient times were actually quite pleasant. In modern times, her parents had divorced and started new families.
Later, when they saw she was good at her studies, they both tried to take credit in front of her.
But in ancient times, she found the warmth of family.
After the Lantern Festival, Miao Zhen had to return to school.
This year, Yuxiucai’s daughter was getting married. In the Ming Dynasty, a girl’s dowry was almost always thick and substantial.
Wang Yangming once said,
“When men and women come of age, they should marry at the right time; but often the girl’s family demands too much betrothal money, and the boy’s family complains about the dowry being too thin, causing delays.”
Sometimes, a groom would even break off the engagement if the dowry was too small.
Usually, Yuxiucai was easygoing, but now, for the sake of the dowry, he mixed together the newly enrolled girls and those who had studied for two years, letting them all study together.
Xu Erpeng said to his daughter,
“Later on, I’ll help you find a good girls’ school.”
As he spoke, he had Miao Zhen memorize the Nanjing and Mai Jue.
If she couldn’t remember, he’d prompt her with a word or two, all while still writing with his hand.
Miao Zhen noticed that her father’s eyes were ringed with dark circles, knowing he often stayed up late writing books and had trouble sleeping.
In a single month, he’d have seven or eight sleepless nights, only catching up on sleep every hundred days or so.
She wanted to suggest some prescriptions, but then thought—she was still a nobody, and her father wouldn’t listen.
Just like before he passed the Xiucai exam—even if what he said was right, no one agreed with him.
But after he became a Xiucai, his words carried much more weight.
She already had a foundation, so memorizing these texts went smoothly.
After listening to her recite, Xu Erpeng was amazed at his daughter’s persistence at such a young age—was it truly heaven-sent talent?
So he didn’t hold back praise,
“Second girl, you really are smart, with a great memory and understanding. Father wants to reward you—what do you want? I’ll buy it for you.”
Having become a child again, she really did act like one: “I want—a Lotus Lantern.”
Such a small request was easy to fulfill.
Not only did he buy her a Lotus Lantern, but also a Gauze Lantern, which made Miao Zhen so happy she didn’t want to use candles at night, preferring to take her lantern to the outhouse.
But with this, Xu Siniang and Miaolian’s interest was piqued too.
Kids are naturally envious, and soon they all clamored for lanterns.
Xu San Shu quickly bought his daughter a Rabbit Lantern, but Xu Siniang didn’t have one.
So Xu San Shu secretly bought one for his little sister, which made Baomu grumble for quite a while.
“This year, I definitely have to save more money.”
Xu Erpeng couldn’t stand it anymore—so many people living together, all the little annoyances were driving him crazy.
Mei Shi said,
“Once I’m out of confinement, I’ll start weaving cloth, and we’ll save up together.”
Xu Erpeng quickly replied,
“No need to rush. It’s more important to take care of Jian Ge’er.”
“If not, we could also rent a place to run a bookshop. We don’t have to buy one,”
Mei Shi said, worried about putting too much pressure on Xu Erpeng.
But soon, Mei Shi couldn’t say that anymore, because Xu San Shu’s landlord wouldn’t rent the shop to them this year, saying he wanted it back.
That shop had been rented by the Xu family for two generations.
Back when Xu Old Man started a rice shop here, it was passed to the youngest son, and the tea and snack shop became a big success, especially in the past year or two.
Xu San Shu’s business was thriving.
But with good business comes competition for the spot.
So, the shop had to close, and every day, Xu San Shu shuffled in straw sandals through the streets, looking for a new place.
With the third branch’s tea and snack shop closed, Baomu spent more time at home.
The rooms of the second and third branches faced each other.
Baomu was thick-skinned and liked to take advantage, at first only asking Fengniang to fetch water or pick vegetables, which was fine.
But later, she would often call people over to watch Zhang Ge’er or help with shoe soles—
Fengniang was practically her servant.
So much so that, during Mei Shi’s confinement, even when she needed help, Fengniang was already full of complaints.
Xu Erpeng had been out searching for a house these days.
He liked to prepare in advance—even if buying, he wanted to go to the agent and compare thoroughly.
At night, he’d still write storybooks alone.
Mei Shi didn’t want to trouble him with these matters, but when Miao Zhen heard about it, she thought it was unacceptable.
The next time Baomu came to the second branch’s door asking for help, she stepped out.
“Third Aunt, please ask someone else for help. Fengniang needs to take care of my little brother. Last time you called Fengniang away, my mother was stuck in bed and couldn’t get up, and no one changed my brother’s diaper.”
Seeing her niece come out to speak, Baomu put on a smile,
“Fengniang is a good person and likes to help me. When she’s free, she can help, when she’s free.”
Such a slippery character was hard to deal with, so Miao Zhen had to tell her father about it on the way to school the next morning.
Xu Erpeng also felt it was becoming more and more inconvenient at home, especially after his youngest son was born.
Four people and Fengniang were all crammed into two rooms, and the house was noisy.
He couldn’t write properly, and his wife was troubled by it too.
Inside Changmen, there was a residence that once belonged to a scholar-official.
The descendants had fallen on hard times and were planning to move to the countryside to tend their fields.
The house was about one mu and three fen in size, with a two-room frontage, facing south, and three courtyards deep.
The innermost courtyard had a small two-story building.
The owner was asking for six hundred taels.
The man was in a hurry to buy land, so he said Xu Erpeng could pay three hundred taels upfront and write an IOU for the remaining three hundred, with interest at four percent—just one percent higher than usual—and he’d sell the house.
He’d hesitated at first, since the street by the Changmen carving workshops was very busy and normally would cost eight hundred taels.
If the owner weren’t desperate, he wouldn’t sell for six hundred.
In the past few days, Xu Erpeng had looked at several houses, even as far as Wuxian, but only this one felt right.
There were lush plants, whitewashed walls and black tiles, the Yuhuang Hall could be used as a reception room and study, and the third courtyard could be a separate embroidery room for his daughter…
When he heard about this today, he made a prompt decision and went home to discuss it with Mei Shi.
Mei Shi was hesitant at first, but after she finished her confinement and went with her husband to see it, she fell in love with the place too.
Mei Shi had a total of three hundred and twenty taels, and Xu Erpeng gave her the thirty taels he’d set aside for Xu Siniang’s dowry.
Last year, he’d only written one book because of the exams and earned seventy taels.
This year, he’d devoted two months to writing, producing eighteen volumes—almost three hundred thousand words—which sold very well at the bookshop.
By April, he’d be able to get a writing fee, just in time to pay off the debt.
By the end of March, the house was bought.
Xu Erpeng, being a Xiucai, could deal with the yamen, and they got the official deed.
For the first time, these two cautious people had taken a big gamble.