Today marked the final lecture on The Great Learning, with the Doctrine of the Mean scheduled to begin in a few days. If one merely acquired basic literacy under Scholar Yu, then under Chou Niangzi’s tutelage, they would learn poetry and composition.
It was akin to modern times—after learning characters, one must still master writing essays and articles.
In the morning, they practiced calligraphy for half a shichen by tracing copybooks. In the afternoon, Chou Niangzi brought out floral pattern books and taught them embroidery. She instructed in authentic Suzhou embroidery: first tracing patterns from the books, then transferring them onto the fabric. As they embroidered, Chou Niangzi would offer guidance.
Miaozhen thought Chou Niangzi was truly accomplished in every skill. Although her own Da Bomu was also an embroiderer and claimed to be a women’s tutor, Miaozhen had seen her embroidery—far inferior to Chou Niangzi’s. Even when Miaozhen used a common idiom, Da Bomu seemed not to understand.
Suzhou’s Wu County was the birthplace of Suzhou embroidery, where nearly every household raised silkworms and practiced needlework. Most girls learned to split threads and handle needles from their mothers growing up. Even those without prior exposure could gradually figure it out by observing others.
Leaves were embroidered with layered stitching, flowers with alternating front-and-back techniques. Miaozhen had spent ten days practicing leaves alone before gradually progressing to flowers.
Beginners like them started with large color blocks—clear outlines and simple color schemes. After finishing this handkerchief, Miaozhen visited the Tao residence, where she encountered the two young masters. The elder, eighteen-year-old Tao Xiucai, already held the xiucai degree. He had handsome features though modest height, and was studying at Suzhou Prefecture School. The younger brother, only a year his junior but a head taller, was disinclined toward scholarship but stood tall and striking.
“Miss Xu is here,” they greeted her.
Miaozhen smiled in acknowledgment before hurrying to find Ru Shi, who happened to be attending a patient and asked her to record the medical case.
This task normally fell to Ru Xiniang, but she was out today, making this Miaozhen’s first time keeping records. She approached it earnestly—after all, even in modern times finding a mentor to teach clinical nuances was no easy feat.
The patient was Miss Huang, daughter of Changzhou County’s magistrate, suffering such violent coughing and wheezing she couldn’t lie down, accompanied by fever and chills. Her pulse was deep and slippery, tongue coating white and greasy—signs of cold trapped internally with external wind evil obstruction, disrupting lung qi circulation.
Ru Shi prescribed Minor Bluegreen Dragon Decoction to disperse internal cold and warm the lungs against wheezing, combined with Trichosanthes Pinellia and Chinese Chive Soup to address phlegm turbidity chest obstruction. Only one dose was prescribed.
For Miaozhen, recording cases was another form of study. Ru Shi wasn’t limited to gynecology—she was versed in all medical specialties.
Ru Shi reviewed Miaozhen’s prescription notes and nodded approvingly. In just half a month, her documentation had become standardized. After seeing off Miss Huang, Ru Shi spent a full shichen explaining “The Properties of Medicinals” to Miaozhen—a foundational text for traditional medicine beginners.
Despite Miaozhen’s prior memorization of texts like Huangdi Neijing, true mastery required solid fundamentals.
Fortunately, Miaozhen had started with Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine in her modern studies, allowing quicker comprehension. Ru Shi praised her: “What takes others three to five months to learn, you might grasp in one.”
“You flatter me, Teacher. It’s all due to your excellent instruction,” Miaozhen replied, though she believed genuine progress required dedicated immersion.
Ru Shi gave her two jars of honey, saying they were gifts from someone—one was bush clover honey, the other was premium winter honey. Each small jar weighed about two and a half taels, both being top-grade products. Miaozhen promptly thanked her teacher before taking her leave.
After Miaozhen departed, Ru Shi complained to those around her about Ru Xiniang: “Others pay tuition and send money to study with me, but she’s always thinking of slacking off.”
On the donkey cart, Miaozhen said to her two maids, “I’ve heard this premium winter honey is a tribute to the imperial court. I’ll take it to the main house for Father and Mother. The bush clover honey, we’ll keep for mixing into honey water to drink daily.”
Of her two maids, Xiao Xi had a rebellious streak and a proud temperament, but she was clever. Xiao Tao was more simple and honest, not adept at social interactions, but she carried out every instruction to the letter.
Xiao Xi couldn’t help saying, “Such fine winter honey—why not decant some into small porcelain jars from home? Keep half for ourselves to taste—wouldn’t that be nice?”
“That’s a good idea,” Miaozhen replied with a smile.
The three chatted and laughed, and she even took their pulses in the cart. Upon arriving home, as she entered, she ran into Feng Niang, who puckered her lips at her.
“What’s wrong?” Miaozhen asked, puzzled.
“You’ll find out when you go inside, Miss,” Feng Niang said, pursing her lips.
When Miaozhen reached the main house, she discovered that Xu Laotai and Xu Siniang had come together. Surprisingly, Xu Siniang greeted her cheerfully: “Zhen’er is back! We’ve prepared roast chicken at home.”
“Grandmother, Aunt,” Miaozhen called out.
Then Mei Shi came out and said, “Zhenzhen, come quickly to eat. Your father will be here soon.”
Miaozhen sat down, thinking to herself: Is Xu Siniang planning to stay at our house again? How persistent. Third Uncle only paid two or three taels for two rooms of our family’s house and moved in long ago. Now the Xu Family’s residence is quite spacious—why does she still have to come here?
As she was muttering to herself, Xu Erpeng arrived. He first asked Miaozhen, “What did you learn today?”
“Today, we finished the last chapter of The Great Learning. Chou Niangzi said it will take another half month to complete The Doctrine of the Mean, and then we’ll start on The Analects,” Miaozhen replied.
Xu Erpeng nodded slightly: “Last time I asked Chou Niangzi—she teaches The Book of Changes. Regardless of anything else, make sure she teaches you the Plum Blossom Numerology.”
For those studying medicine, mastering Plum Blossom Numerology would be exceptionally beneficial.
To Xu Laotai and Xu Siniang, this sounded like gibberish, and Xu Erpeng was well aware of it. To him, educating his own child was natural, and he usually showed some care for his younger sister, but actually sending her to be raised by her elder brother and sister-in-law was absolutely unacceptable.
Meanwhile, Xu Laotai was captivated by the food. At Third Son’s house, his wife wasn’t skilled at cooking, so Xu Laotai had to do it herself, and the meals were merely edible. But in Second Son’s household, there was sticky lotus root drizzled with brown sugar, savory roast chicken, pan-fried tofu glistening with oil, and a pot of rice stir-fried with dried tofu, water celery, and minced meat—all exceptionally fragrant.
Just as she was enjoying the meal, Xu Erpeng asked, “Does Eldest Brother know you’re here?”
Xu Laotai asked in confusion, “Why would I tell your eldest brother?”
“Mother, back then you told me that since Eldest Brother was someone else’s son-in-law and would mostly rely on his in-laws’ family, I had studied my way out, and Third Brother didn’t pursue education, it was only natural that the family’s rice shop should be left to Third Brother. I agreed. But later, Third Brother kept studying continuously. Had he not failed the county-level examinations three times, he probably wouldn’t have taken over your rice shop. These matters among you adults aren’t something we children can comment on, after all, you and Father raised us with great difficulty. So, when Grandfather passed away and there was no money for the burial, I provided it to save your face. When you and Father looked down on the loom and wanted a spinning machine costing dozens of taels, I even borrowed money to help you get it. By rights, I’ve contributed quite a lot to this family, haven’t I?” Xu Erpeng said earnestly.
Instead of feeling ashamed upon hearing this, Xu Laotai grew furious: “That money was just because we were temporarily short of funds and had no choice but to ask you.”
“See, you get upset as soon as I mention it. All these years, I’ve been in debt for this house, never expecting you to repay me, and never complaining to you. But don’t act as if I’m your only son. If you really need help, Eldest Brother doesn’t even have anyone to tend the fire, cook, or do laundry—why don’t you and Fourth Sister go there? Clearly, you’re trying to have your cake and eat it too, sending Fourth Sister here to enjoy a comfortable life. Even my own daughter, who listens to me, studies reading and writing, and is so sensible—that’s why I’m willing to spend money on her. But a sister who’s this lazy and playful, still not making progress after two or three years—I won’t keep such a pampered ancestor.” Xu Erpeng’s voice grew increasingly louder by the end.
Xu Laotai was no match for him at all. Moreover, he had exposed all her secrets in front of Mei Shi and the servants, making her wish she could vanish into the ground.
Miaozhen applauded inwardly: Dad is mighty! No wonder Mom loves him so dearly despite his ordinary appearance—now I understand.
After the meal, Xu Erpeng personally saw Xu Laotai and her daughter onto the donkey cart. He specially gave them a package of red dates, nine and a half dried fish, and a live duck to take back.
Judging by Xu Laotai’s expression, she was quite pleased with these gifts and held no grudge against her son. She even waved her hand and said, “Later, I’ll have someone bring the walnuts over. No need to see us off.”
Miaozhen was stunned, but her father smiled and said, “If I don’t speak plainly, people always misunderstand me as a pushover, not knowing what it means to be courteous before using force.”