After giving the gossip-spreading villager a lesson, Huo Mingqian strode off to catch up with Tian Fengying and the others.
Liu Hansheng stared in the direction Ning Yuchan had gone and asked the villager, “Did she really bow in marriage to a big rooster?”
The villager did not dare to speak carelessly anymore. After being checked, he hugged his bundle and hurriedly ran out of the city gate.
The process of boiling black plaster was both simple and complicated.
It was simple because the process did not look difficult.
It was complicated because there were many things in the middle that required one’s own judgment. Ning Yuchan had no experience and did not know to what extent each step should be done.
No matter what, she had to try first.
She washed the copper pot clean, put all the medicinal ingredients into the pot, added sesame oil, heated it, and continuously stirred until all the herbs turned dark brown.
Of course, during this process, the temperature also had to be controlled. After refining, she used a wire strainer to scoop out the medicinal residue, leaving only the medicinal oil.
She had no experience, and the prescription did not specify what temperature to control it at.
She could only operate according to her own understanding.
Even if the temperature had been specified, she might not have known how to handle it.
This was only the first step.
After completing it, there was a second step. The medicinal oil had to continue boiling, the temperature needed to be increased, and it had to be changed to medium heat, until “water drops form beads,” ensuring the best effect.[1]“滴水成珠” means the oil is heated to a stage where drops form bead-like shapes in water, indicating proper consistency jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1953077_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1953077_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
“Drops forming beads,” she did not understand what that meant, nor did she know how to operate it.
Just then, she saw Huo Mingqian come over and took the initiative to ask him.
Although Huo Mingqian had never prepared black plaster before, he had read many books. After carefully examining the process she had written down, he pondered for a moment and actually understood it.
“It should be like this…”
He took a basin of clean water, dripped some medicinal oil into it, and recreated the effect of drops forming beads.
Ning Yuchan felt delighted. A smile brighter than the sun climbed onto the young girl’s face.
Huo Mingqian was somewhat entranced. It was only when he heard the crow of a bald-feathered rooster that he came back to his senses.
What Ning Yuchan had given him was a sheet recording the operation method, without listing the ingredients.
Huo Mingqian noticed her neat and graceful handwriting. It was the unique script created by the Grand Preceptor of the current dynasty.
It had once been popular throughout the country, and many scholars and refined gentlemen had taken pleasure in imitating his style.
However, in recent years, after the Grand Preceptor had been convicted of a crime, hardly anyone used his script anymore.
Ning Yuchan was actually able to write in the former Grand Preceptor’s script. It showed that the person who had enlightened her was definitely not ordinary.
Noticing that he had been staring at the process she recorded for boiling the medicine, Ning Yuchan asked in confusion, “Third Uncle, have you found some problem?”
Huo Mingqian spoke frankly, “Your reading and writing were all taught by your honored mother?”
Ning Yuchan nodded. “Yes, my mother taught me everything. She was a woman of refined grace and talent, with extraordinary ability. It’s just a pity she passed away early. I only learned a little from her.”
Huo Mingqian sighed with emotion, “It is a pity for such an extraordinary woman.”
He returned the paper to Ning Yuchan. “I’ll go inside to say a word and then head back to prepare for the birthday banquet.”
Ning Yuchan walked him to the door. “Third Uncle, if there is anything you need, please instruct me. Yuchan will definitely come to help.”
Tian Fengying had Taohua stay with Ning Yuchan to boil the medicine. First, to help remind her in case anything was missed, and second, because relying on Ning Yuchan alone, she would be so busy that she would not even dare to take her eyes off it, which was truly exhausting.
Taohua was obedient and followed Ning Yuchan, staying by her side the whole time.
By evening, they really managed to boil out a pot of pitch-black plaster.
After the medicinal plaster had completely cooled, Tian Fengying hurriedly scooped out a large portion and stuck it onto Father Huo’s leg.
Imagining that Father Huo would be able to walk briskly by the next morning, she smiled so widely that her mouth could not close.
Tomorrow was Old Lady Huo’s birthday. Following Huo Mingqian’s instructions, she prepared two packages of pastries and two jin of pork.
“Changsheng’s father, when you go to celebrate the birthday tomorrow, you won’t need to use your crutch.”
Father Huo was also happy.
The pitch-black plaster looked almost the same as what was sold in the medicine shops. It must be effective.
“I’ve enjoyed Yuchan’s good fortune. I even get to use such good plaster now.”
Taohua’s thoughts wandered quickly. From the plaster that could reconnect broken bones and tendons, she imagined it selling in great quantities and earning a lot of silver. The whole family would live a good life, even move to the city and buy a big house. When her elder brother returned and saw such earth-shaking changes, he would not even dare to recognize them.
She herself would become a young lady from a wealthy family. Countless young men would come to propose marriage, some officials, some sons of rich families, each one treating her with utmost respect.
The entire Huo Eldest Branch would have to lower their heads when they saw her.
They would keep apologizing to her, while she held her head high, not even sparing them a glance.
…
With the plaster successfully made, the whole family was very happy. Only Ning Yuchan felt uncertain.
It did indeed look similar to the plaster they usually used, but the process had gone too smoothly.
If it were this simple, wouldn’t everyone be able to make medicinal plaster?
Yet something felt off. With her experience, knowledge, and ability, she could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
She could only hope that by tomorrow morning, Father Huo’s leg injury would improve.
All night, Ning Yuchan was restless and could not sleep soundly.
In the middle of the night, she even had a nightmare.
In the dream, she had worsened Father Huo’s leg injury, and he was already covered with a white cloth.
Neither early nor late, Huo Changsheng returned at this very moment.
He knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, endlessly blaming himself for being unfilial, reproaching himself for not coming back earlier, for not letting Father Huo live even one good day.
With a loud rustle—
He opened his bundle. Inside were all gold ingots, each worth ten taels, which he threw down in front of the coffin, piling up like a small mountain.
Then his eyes widened in fury, and fresh red blood seeped from them. Suddenly, he lunged toward her.
“Ning Yuchan, you vicious and heartless shrew! You actually killed my father. I’ll fight you to the death.”
“I’ll fight you to the death.”
“No, no, no…” Ning Yuchan woke up in extreme terror. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to…”
Her whole body was covered in fine beads of sweat. Her hair was soaked, as if she had just been washed with water.
As she wiped away the sweat, she looked out the window.
The night was thick, and the house was completely quiet. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law made no sound. It seemed nothing major had happened.
Taohua slept soundly. Ning Yuchan’s shouting in the dream had not affected her at all.
When Ning Yuchan withdrew her gaze, she saw that Taohua’s blanket had slipped off. She helped cover her again, then lay back down on the kang.
This time, she slept until daylight.
In the morning, as soon as Ning Yuchan got up, the first thing she did was go to ask about Father Huo’s injury.
But Tian Fengying stopped her at the door. “Yuchan, your father hasn’t gotten up yet. Take a look later.”
Tian Fengying’s expression was not very good. Ning Yuchan’s heart skipped a beat. “Mother, is it not good?”
Tian Fengying looked somewhat troubled. “It’s… much better…”
She was worried that Ning Yuchan was still young and could not withstand the shock, and for a moment, did not know how to explain.
What was there that Ning Yuchan could not understand? “Then the medicine didn’t work?”
If it simply did not work, that would be fine. What she feared was that there might be side effects causing other problems.
“It didn’t ruin my father’s leg, did it…”
References[+]