In the morning, Miaozhen stretched lazily in bed—nothing compared to the comfort of home. Reluctantly rising, she first shared a meal with Mei Shi and met her two younger brothers, distributing the trinkets she had brought back from Wuxi. After paying a visit to Ru Shi at the Tao family, she went to play with Ma Yulan.
Unexpectedly, Ma Taitai hesitated and stammered. Puzzled, Miaozhen asked, “Auntie, what’s wrong with Sister Ma?”
“Zhenzhen, you should go back. Your Sister Ma is ill and cannot see anyone,” Ma Taitai dismissed her.
Upon returning, Miaozhen immediately questioned Mei Shi: “What happened to Sister Ma? Aunt Ma wouldn’t even let me see her.”
Mei Shi whispered, “I heard she’s contracted a severe illness. They even invited Taoists to ward off evil spirits and are keeping outsiders away. I don’t know the details either.”
“If that’s the case, they probably don’t want to alarm others.” Suspecting it might involve private matters, Miaozhen didn’t press further.
Over the years of practicing medicine with her master, she had encountered many wealthy families. Illness only improves if you actively seek treatment; if you conceal symptoms, the physician’s diagnosis will be inaccurate, rendering treatment futile.
At noon, she rolled moxa sticks the size of date pits and applied moxibustion to Xu Erpeng’s Shousanli point through ginger slices.
After the moxibustion, Miaozhen helped him scrape the Hegu point. He leaned back comfortably in his recliner and sighed, “Having a physician like Zhenzhen at home is better than anything. My hand feels completely revitalized with improved blood flow.”
“Father, you’re exaggerating,” Miaozhen laughed.
Xu Erpeng had often suffered from shoulder and hand pain that kept him awake, but after the noon moxibustion, he felt so comfortable he nearly dozed off.
While Ru Shi excelled in gynecology with accurate diagnoses, the Tan family was particularly skilled in warm moxibustion techniques, renowned for curing chronic and stubborn diseases.
They also highly valued Danxi’s theories, so many books Miaozhen currently studied were related to Zhu Danxi.
Inspired by Xu Erpeng’s treatment, Feng Niang also came seeking help. She had a lump on the left side of her neck and was deeply worried: “I’ve tried applying chicken blood and incense ash, but nothing worked. Miss, what is this illness? It even moves when touched.”
Miaozhen palpated it, first easing the patient’s anxiety: “It’s nothing serious. I’ve encountered this before—it’s a phlegm nodule. ‘Danxi’s Mastery of Medicine’ records a case where someone suffering from deficiency had lumps all over their body.”
Feng Niang had worked tirelessly in the Mei household and, though life was slightly easier now, she still couldn’t stay idle. Miaozhen took her into the inner room, had her remove her outer garment, and applied moxibustion to the left Yifeng and Jianjing points. Yifeng is the convergence point of the Hand and Foot Shaoyang meridians, while Jianjing is even more crucial. During the procedure, she also prepared a prescription.
“I’ll give you Danggui Lian Qiao Tang to support healthy qi, expel toxins, promote pus drainage, and regenerate tissue. Combined with Er Chen Tang—you might not know, but Er Chen Tang can treat phlegm throughout the body. I’ve added two qian of Cang Zhu, which eliminates phlegm, and one qian of Qing Pi for you to dissipate nodules and resolve phlegm,” Miaozhen explained.
Although she bore the title of Tan Yunxian’s disciple, she still had to build her own reputation. In modern times, one could gradually accumulate fame through hospital work, but in ancient times, it started with word-of-mouth reputation—from the inside out.
First, she would treat her family members effectively, then begin healing neighbors and locals. This way, her reputation would spread quickly.
Thinking of this, she feared Feng Niang might refuse to spend money on medicine and prepared to use her own savings, but Feng Niang quickly said, “It’s already too much for you to diagnose me, young lady. If you also buy medicine for me, I’d be no better than a beast.”
Though Feng Niang was from the Mei family, after coming to the Xu Family, she had gained Mei Shi’s deep trust. Every New Year, she received a monetary reward and planned to retire in the Xu Family, so she treated Miaozhen and her two younger brothers as her own children.
Miaozhen stopped her, saying, “I still have money on hand, so don’t worry.”
With that, she had a maid take the prescription to the front for a servant boy to fetch the medicine from the pharmacy.
Feng Niang’s face was full of gratitude, but Miaozhen told her not to mind it.
After Feng Niang left, Miaozhen was about to rest for a while. After all, performing acupuncture for others was somewhat tiring, especially after the fatigue of traveling in recent days.
She had just dozed off when Miaoyun arrived. Miaozhen quickly got up and said, “Elder sister, what brings you here?”
“I heard from my father that you had returned, so I came to see you,” Miaoyun replied. She noticed Miaozhen was wearing a simple, plain outfit at home: a patterned cloth top and a white cotton-linen skirt, not at all like a wealthy young lady.
Miaozhen didn’t consider herself a wealthy young lady either. Her father currently had only a few hundred taels of silver, and the entire family relied on the bookshop. With no land or ancestral property, a single major event could leave them vulnerable.
But seeing that Miaoyun had come specifically to visit and brought some fruit, Miaozhen smiled and said, “It’s been years since we last saw each other. Let’s catch up.”
Miaoyun nodded with a smile and mentioned that her mother was now making dowries for the Fang family, a task that would take two years. She added, “My mother’s eyesight isn’t very good now. I really wish she wouldn’t keep embroidering.”
“Embroiderers often face this issue. You can buy some chrysanthemums and goji berries for Da Bomu to brew tea later,” Miaozhen suggested.
Suzhou had many embroiderers and weavers, and by their forties, most had blurry vision. Only a few exceptionally talented ones could still embroider into their eighties or nineties.
After chatting for a while, Miaoyun subtly remarked, “I remember you learned embroidery from your family’s female tutor, right?”
“Yes, she taught everything from sketching patterns and making samples to selecting colors and threads,” Miaozhen said, feeling a bit nostalgic for Chou Niangzi.
Miaoyun was, of course, fishing for information. Although her mother had once been a female tutor, it was out of respect for her grand-uncle. Such opportunities were rare now. Since she presented herself as Chou Niangzi’s disciple, she needed to understand more. So, she asked to see the embroidery pattern book. Unaware of Miaoyun’s intentions, Miaozhen had Xiao Xi bring the pattern book.
Miaoyun took the book, chatting with Miaozhen about what to give Xu Siniang for her wedding while secretly memorizing the order of the patterns.
Not wanting to appear obvious, she changed the subject: “Look, your pattern book goes from easy to difficult, just like our studies. I recall you studied under Xiucai Yu before moving to Chou Niangzi. Was there a difference?”
“Yes, a big one. Besides teaching us reading, writing, cooking, and needlework, Chou Niangzi put a lot of effort into poetry and lyrics,” Miaozhen replied with a smile.
Miaoyun, feigning interest, insisted on seeing Miaozhen’s notes. Miaozhen pointed to the bookcase on the left and said, “There they are.”
“I’ll take a look and see how they differ from what I learned,” Miaoyun said with a smile as she walked over.
Miaozhen stood up and said, “Then please go ahead, sister. I need to organize my medical records anyway.” Maintaining medical records was a crucial task, as they served as the basis for evaluating patients’ treatment outcomes.
After writing the medical records, she still needed to roll moxa sticks and make sachets—there was plenty to keep her busy.
Miaoyun secretly read Miaozhen’s notes, but after perusing them for half an hour and noticing how quiet the room had become, she promptly rose to take her leave. Miaozhen had a maid escort her out.
When the maid returned, Miaozhen asked, “Did you notice how unusually interested Elder Sister seemed in my Girls’ School materials today?”
Xiao Tao, always slow to catch on, claimed not to know, but Xiao Xi remarked, “After you spent so much money on those lessons, she’s surely looking for a chance to learn them for free. Should I help you store the books in a chest for now?”
“That works. Just keep the medical texts out on display,” Miaozhen replied.
Unaware that Miaozhen had noticed her intentions, Miaoyun returned home and immediately transcribed what she had seen using paper and brush. She wasn’t worried about embroidery patterns—having learned painting since childhood and embroidery from her mother.
But to create her own floral catalog, she needed to buy pigments, which she was running low on.
She would have to ask her father for money for the pigments. Her mother monitored every penny spent closely. Though her father lacked social graces and sometimes put on airs of false refinement, he had a soft heart and couldn’t resist pleas for help.
She went straight to Xu Dalang, tearfully pleading, “I finally landed this job with such a wealthy family. If I don’t show proper credentials, they might doubt my capabilities.”
Moved by his daughter’s entreaties, Xu Dalang reluctantly gave her three taels from the five taels Xu Erpeng had lent him for rent, secretly keeping the remaining two taels—which were intended for Xu Siniang’s dowry.
After handing over the money, he smiled wryly to himself, realizing he was now truly left with nothing.
The next day was Xu Siniang’s wedding. Miaozhen’s new outfit had already been delivered. While it was fine to dress simply at home, one needed to look presentable when going out.
She wore a white threaded skirt and a pea-green Bijia, with a gold triple-accessory pendant draped over her chest and gold willow-leaf earrings dangling from her ears. Miaozhen lightly applied some rouge and powder, studying her reflection in the hand mirror. Though not breathtakingly beautiful, she looked elegantly charming.
Once dressed, she accompanied her parents to Maple Bridge. A canopy had been set up early in front of the building, while Bao Shi’s younger brother had been hired to cook in the kitchen at the back.
Mei Shi expressed slight dissatisfaction, “Why was he invited?”
“Is there a problem?” Miaozhen asked, unaware.
Mei Shi explained, “Last time for your brother’s one-month celebration, your third aunt brought her brother to our house with all his kitchenware. We agreed, expecting nine tables of guests, but he prepared ten. Not only that—he charged five mace per table, and after the meal, he didn’t even have his crew clean up.”
“No wonder! Even the current market rate for a five-fruit, five-dish banquet with a Lion Immortal Sugar Table is only five mace,” Miaozhen thought, realizing how greedy Bao’s uncle was.
Mei Shi added, “There’s more. Old Gao, the pancake seller, fell seriously ill but hadn’t yet died. Uncle Bao gathered a group to show up at his door offering funeral services, and the Gao family chased them out with blows.”
Miaozhen gasped in astonishment upon hearing this.
Originally, the family had intended to ask Xu Erpeng to record the gift ledger, but he only agreed to come for the midday meal, as he still had writing to do in the morning. Thus, Xu Laotai had her younger brother, Xu Laojiuye, take on the task.
Mei Shi had someone bring two taels of silver—a gift sum, though it couldn’t be called such since they were family. Instead, it was referred to as an addition to Xu Siniang’s dowry.
It had been over a year since they last met. Now just sixteen, Xu Siniang, despite past grievances about her character, appeared in red attire, bashful and shy, soon to marry into another family. The sight made one keenly aware of how swiftly time passed.
It was said that Xu Siniang had become quite skilled at cooking and could handle laundry and mending, even surpassing Xu Laotai in capability.
After leaving the bridal chamber, Miaozhen noticed Xu Dalang had come alone and asked, “Has eldest sister not arrived yet?”
“She and your Da Bomu are both occupied,” Xu Dalang replied.
Miaozhen didn’t press further, clearly aware that Da Bomu likely refused to come. Having felt slighted while living in the old residence, she was even less inclined to put on a facade for the Xu Family now—an understandable sentiment.
Unlike Mei Shi, Huang Shi led a rather discontented life and had no desire to humor her in-laws. Mei Shi, on the other hand, typically kept to herself, living comfortably without want. With only two or three interactions with her husband’s family each year, she could still manage to tolerate them.
As guests gradually arrived, Mei Shi took Miaozhen to their seats. The table was laden with rich, greasy dishes. When the groom came to distribute door-opening money, only the third branch received thicker red envelopes.
Miaozhen caught a glimpse of her new uncle-by-marriage: his head was pointed, his mouth slightly protruding, giving an impression of shrewdness.
In the end, the event was lively, with gongs and drums escorting the bride away.
On the third-day return visit, Miaozhen and the others did not attend. Xu Siniang’s return gifts were all taken to Xu Laotai, who, considering she usually lived with her third son, gave a portion to him. The gifts for the other two sons, she kept for herself.
Mei Shi, being meticulous, was well aware of this. But with her youngest son only three months old and still needing constant care, even with a wet nurse, she couldn’t fully relax.
Miaozhen, however, found herself with free time, spending her days contentedly studying medicine and doing needlework.
About a month later, the phlegm node on Feng Niang’s left neck had completely disappeared. Overjoyed, Feng Niang praised Miaozhen’s medical skills to everyone she met.
When servants of the Ma Family overheard this, Madame Ma wiped her recently dried tears and seemed to resolve to visit the Xu Family. At that moment, the Xu Family was having dinner together. Miaozhen was quizzing her younger brother and helping him recite texts. Only after he finished did she serve him soup and rice. Just as she handed it over, Madame Ma arrived.
Seeing Madame Ma hesitate as if struggling to speak, Mei Shi, fearing she had some unspeakable difficulty, invited her into the inner chamber. But Madame Ma said, “I’d like to ask Zhenzhen to come over to our place and take a look.”
Miaozhen paused—could it be that Ma Yulan was seriously ill? She hurriedly followed.
Visits to the Ma Family had always been cheerful in the past, but now the atmosphere felt strange. Madame Ma remained silent along the way until they reached Ma Yulan’s small courtyard and entered the main room. When the door opened and Miaozhen stepped inside, she looked in.
The once lively and cheerful Ma Yulan now had a face that shifted between pallor and flush, her abdomen protruding as if she were with child.
Ma Yulan also seemed somewhat dazed. Ma Taitai whispered in her ear: “Zhenzhen, look at your sister Yulan—she was perfectly fine during the New Year, but after the festivities ended, her menstrual cycle stopped, and her belly swelled up. We held two religious ceremonies and spent considerable silver, yet she showed no improvement. Later, we consulted a physician who first claimed your sister had ghostly intercourse, then accused her of indulging in pleasure but refusing to admit it. It made me tremble with rage, and fearing gossip, I paid silver to silence them.”
Miaozhen couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow upon hearing this. She then asked, “Did you invite Ru Furen to examine her?”
“We did. At first, she diagnosed your sister Yulan with abdominal concretions, but when that yielded no results, she declared it a ghost fetus. It was your master who suggested we hold the ceremonies.” Ma Taitai was deeply worried. She knew even Ru Shi’s treatments had failed—how could Ru Shi’s disciple succeed? Yet now, they had no choice but to try every possible remedy.
Suddenly, Miaozhen recalled the case of “ghost fetus in unmarried women” from “Fu Qingzhu’s Gynecology” she had studied. Though the text had its limitations, the symptoms seemed to match. After steadying herself for a moment, she said to Ma Taitai, “This is not a ghost fetus. My method only has a thirty percent chance of success. If you trust me, I will do my best. If not, I will not speak of this matter recklessly.”
Without modern medical means, Miaozhen had to proceed with extreme caution. Fortunately, Ma Taitai genuinely loved her daughter and was far from ignorant.
Seeing that Miaozhen made no grand claims and remained prudent, Ma Taitai immediately responded, “I trust you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have sought you out.”
“Good. Then let me be blunt first: I will record your sister’s condition in the medical records. If any mishap occurs during treatment, you cannot hold me responsible. If you agree, find a witness, and we will sign a document.” Miaozhen had crossed over due to a medical dispute, and the memory still haunted her. Thus, this was the only way she could proceed.