The room door was shut, and the windows were closed. Dawn had not yet fully broken, leaving the room dim, so a lamp was lit, filling the chamber with bright light.
Song Zhiwei lowered her eyes to examine her grandmother’s skin after removing her outer robe. Her expression was calm and serious.
Madam Xu had suffered from this hidden ailment for more than five years. Every night after dark, the affected area would become painfully itchy. She had taken countless medicines and tonics, yet none had helped. At the same time, she could not properly summon a physician to examine her condition, so the illness had continued to torment her year after year.
After another sleepless night of suffering, she felt moved by Song Zhiwei’s concern, especially when the young woman correctly guessed her discomfort after only a few questions.
With her guard completely down, Madam Xu followed Song Zhiwei’s instructions and let her examine the problem.
As women age, the skin and mucous membranes of the lower body become thinner and drier. Song Zhiwei found signs of tissue damage, atrophy, and some adhesion, but fortunately, there was no fungal infection.
After examining the discharge, Song Zhiwei and Yun’er helped Madam Xu get dressed again. Then they sat down at a nearby table, and Song Zhiwei asked Yun’er to bring writing materials.
Madam Xu was barely literate, but Gu Ce’an had grown up in this residence, and the east room had been kept for him to this day. Therefore, when Song Zhiwei asked for brush and ink, Yun’er immediately said they had some and quickly fetched them.
Grinding the ink stick with water, Song Zhiwei picked up the brush and began writing a prescription.
Internal Prescription: Prepared nu zhen zi (Glossy Privet Fruit) 2 qian, han lian cao (Eclipta Herb) 2 qian, he shou wu (Fo-ti Root) 2 qian, shan zhu yu (Cornelian Cherry Fruit) 2 qian, stir-fried red peony root and white peony root 2 qian each, roasted turtle shell 3 qian, raw and cooked coix seeds 3 qian each, tu fu ling (Smilax Root) 6 qian, aged purple gromwell root 2 qian, and Alisma 2 qian.
Song Zhiwei carefully noted down the weights and measurements, then wrote an external-use prescription: External Wash: Epimedium, Cnidium seeds, aged purple gromwell root, and raspberry fruit in appropriate amounts.
Setting down her brush, she handed the prescription to Yun’er. “For the internal medicine, prepare one dose per day, divided into morning and evening servings. As for the external prescription, decoct it in water and use the liquid for steaming and washing.”
Seeing that Yun’er seemed somewhat confused, Song Zhiwei sighed lightly. “You may show these prescriptions to the manor physician, or ask the physician to come here and speak with me. I have some experience with conditions of this sort.”
Thinking of Song Zhiwei’s late mother, whom she had cared for during her illness, Yun’er’s trust immediately deepened. She nodded quickly and briskly walked out. After speaking a few words to Nanny Wang outside, she saw the woman rise at once and leave, and she also sent a young maid to summon the physician.
Once the arrangements had been made, Yun’er returned and said to Song Zhiwei, “The physician will be here shortly. We should first help the Old Madam change her clothes.”
The clothes one slept in could not be the same as those worn when receiving outside visitors.
That was precisely why it was so troublesome and exhausting for noblewomen in large households to seek medical treatment. And this did not even touch on the greatest problem of all: a male physician could not examine the affected area.
Song Zhiwei frowned slightly.
Changing Madam Xu’s clothing was no simple matter. Her hair would have to be arranged and pinned up, hair ornaments put on, and every layer of clothing from undergarments to outer robes replaced. She had already been suffering from a lack of sleep and physical weakness. All that effort would only make it harder for her condition to improve.
So Song Zhiwei said directly, “If the physician is only coming to review the prescription, there is no need for all that. When the time comes, we can simply lower the curtain. He won’t be able to see her clearly anyway. All that’s needed is for him to take her pulse and ask a few questions about her condition.”
By this time, Madam Xu was a little more clear-headed. Knowing what was best for her own health, and feeling somewhat irritable, she said, “Then we’ll do it that way. Today’s morning greetings are canceled. Tell the children not to come today.”
Yun’er acknowledged the order and went out.
Madam Xu weakly grasped Song Zhiwei’s hand. “You are a good child. Your grandmother knows that.”
Song Zhiwei squeezed her hand reassuringly in return and said nothing.
Soon, the physician and his apprentice were summoned. Setting down the medicine chest, the old doctor took Madam Xu’s pulse and asked some general questions about her condition. His inquiries were somewhat roundabout and indirect, clearly chosen with great care, as if he feared touching on an embarrassing subject.
After gathering the necessary information, the old physician examined the prescription and frowned. “Miss Song, where did this prescription come from?”
Standing in the room, Song Zhiwei’s slender figure gave off an air of remarkable composure. “I wrote the prescription myself. In senile itching disorders, deficiency usually outweighs excess, unlike in younger patients, where excess conditions are often the primary cause. As stated in the Plain Questions, Great Treatise on the Manifestations of Yin and Yang: ‘At forty, a person’s yin energy is already reduced by half.’ The liver and kidneys govern the lower burner. When the liver and kidney essence and blood become deficient, the Ren Meridian is affected, resulting in withering and itching. That is why I paired cornelian cherry fruit with fo-ti to nourish essence and blood together. Roasted turtle shell enriches yin and replenishes essence. Combined with the sweet and cooling purple gromwell root, it moistens and clears the lower burner. Using both raw and prepared coix seeds strengthens the spleen and drains dampness, while the external medicines relieve itching and dispel pathogenic toxins.”
After finishing her explanation, she looked at the physician seriously. “This is the reasoning behind my prescription. May I ask for your opinion?”
The old physician was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously. “In an elderly woman like this, the liver channel is deficient in blood, bodily fluids are depleted, and qi cannot properly nourish and circulate through the body. Over time, stagnation breeds dampness. Your prescription focuses on restoring yin fluids and promoting their generation while supplementing it with herbs that dispel dampness. The approach is gentle without the risk of overly cloying tonics impairing the spleen, yet it also avoids the drawbacks of excessively bitter, cold, and descending medicines. It should indeed achieve very good results.”
The old physician rose, his expression equally serious. “This prescription should prove quite effective. Miss Song’s selection of medicines is exceptionally well-considered. I have nothing to add to it.”
Everyone present in the room, the curious onlookers peering through the windows, and all the maids gathered in the courtyard had already sensed something unusual the moment Song Zhiwei began speaking at length in terminology they barely understood.
Now, hearing the physician himself openly admit he had little to criticize in Song Zhiwei’s prescription and seemed highly approving of it, they couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement. Who would have thought that this young cousin from the maternal side possessed such remarkable skill? No wonder she was usually so quiet. As it turned out, she had hidden talents.
Now that an authority had verified the prescription as effective, they quickly arranged to dispense the medicine.
As the old physician and his apprentice departed, the apprentice glanced at Song Zhiwei several times, unable to hide his surprise. He simply could not understand how someone who appeared so young could possess such a profound understanding of medicinal prescriptions. Could it really be nothing more than coincidence or luck?
Song Zhiwei, however, paid none of this any attention. She merely felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, this physician was someone willing to communicate and discuss matters rationally. Had she encountered a more stubborn and opinionated doctor, things would have become troublesome. After all, studying traditional medicine to the point where one could treat patients independently took many years. At her age, she didn’t look convincing enough. It was all too easy for people to doubt and distrust her capabilities.
She and Yun’er waited together for the physician’s people to deliver the medicinal herbs. After carefully inspecting the ingredients, they decocted the medicine themselves, then attended to Madam Xu and helped her drink it. They decocted another batch of medicine and prepared a medicinal wash for steaming and cleansing.
Perhaps she had been too exhausted and mentally strained for too long. Now that she finally seemed to have found a treatment suited to her condition, Madam Xu fell asleep shortly after washing.
After taking the medicine for two or three days, the pain and itching at night eased considerably. Even when discomfort arose, she could endure it.
Another four or five days passed, and the pain and itching had nearly disappeared altogether. Madam Xu slept well at night, had more energy during the day, and grew increasingly close to Song Zhiwei.
Yet this newfound closeness was no longer the same as before. Previously, she had treated Song Zhiwei as merely a younger relative, bestowing only a modest amount of familial affection. Now, however, she regarded her more as someone of genuine value.
Word of Song Zhiwei’s medical abilities gradually spread through the household servants, especially after Madam Xu’s condition improved.
As a result, one day, while Song Zhiwei was in her courtyard taking stock of her possessions with Lancao and Zhuxiang, she received an invitation from her Second Aunt for the first time.