Jinyi Spring

Chapter 103: Concealing evil intentions
Just as Feng Chuchen inserted the needle, the little maid's voice came in, "Aunt and Miss are here."

Xia Shi and Kong Xiyan walked in, bringing with them a chill.

Kong Xiyan walked over briskly, took Madam Ming's hand, and said in a coquettish tone, "Aunt, I haven't seen you for several days."

Xia frowned and scolded, "Your hands are cold, don't let your aunt get cold."

Kong Xiyan stuck out her tongue and let go of her hand.

Madam Ming forced a smile and said, "I'm not a beautiful lamp that goes out with a gust of wind."

Xia sat down next to Madam Ming. "We still need to be careful. We've finally gotten a little better; we can't let it go back to the way it was before."

Granny Li wiped away her tears. "It's already been turned back."

Seeing that Madam Ming's eyes were also red, Madam Xia asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Li Mama said, "Madam's condition has worsened. They said she would recover in six months, but now we don't know when she will recover or whether she will fully recover."

He choked up again as he spoke.

Madam Xia, holding Madam Ming's hand, advised, "Sister-in-law, it's not worth getting angry with those dogs and cats. Back when I was in the Kong family, I was..."

She glanced at her daughter, not wanting to say much, and then changed her words, saying, "Sister-in-law, remember, your health is your own responsibility. It's not worth getting angry over those things."

Madam Ming said, "I know that's the truth, but after what happened, how could I bear it?"

After exchanging a few words, Xia's gaze turned to Feng Chuchen.

He laughed and said, "Today, the old lady gave me a task. She is celebrating her sixtieth birthday on the twelfth of the twelfth lunar month, and she asked me to make sure to deliver the invitation to Doctor Feng, inviting Doctor Feng and Young Master Feng to the mansion for a birthday banquet that day."

Although Feng Chuchen disliked crowds, she was still flattered and stood up to accept the gift, saying with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words. My brother and I will definitely come to congratulate you."

Madam Xia then turned to Madam Ming and said softly, "I've been busy with the old lady's birthday celebration these past few days, and I'm only just now getting around to seeing you. Alas, who would have thought..."

Her eyes also turned red.

He said to Kong Xiyan and Feng Chuchen, "You young ladies must be bored here. Go to the main room and have a chat. Doctor Feng can come in if you need anything."

The two women, an aunt and sister-in-law, wanted to have a private conversation, so they cleared the area.

The servants withdrew on their own.

Kong Xiyan had nothing to say to this country girl, so she simply said, "I just saw that the wintersweet in the garden has bloomed. I'll go pick a few branches to put in a vase."

Feng Chuchen went over and turned the silver needles on Madam Ming's body before going to the main hall.

After thinking for a moment, Granny Li retreated to the side room, picked up a feather duster from a blue and white porcelain vase, and lightly swept the antique shelf not far from the door.

Madam Xia held Madam Ming's hand and gently advised, "Sister-in-law, you really can't blame my elder brother for that. It was that shameless little wife who took advantage of your kindness and forgot her place. Bah, she wanted to have children after becoming a concubine, how shameless!"

"When I argued with Kong Laosan, it was mostly because of my wife. The Kong family is like a crooked beam, with the younger generation following suit. That old man Kong was fifty years old and still preying on fourteen or fifteen-year-old girls, and his son followed suit."

“But our family is different. My father was devoted to my mother his whole life, and the son he raised can’t be bad. Even if he makes a mistake now and then, he’s still much better than other men.”

Madam Ming sighed softly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I understand all these principles, but I just can't get over this hurdle in my heart. It makes me feel bad."

"That woman not only wants to have a child for the master, but she also wants to kill Doctor Feng so that my illness will never be cured. She is so wicked, I have treated her very well."

Xia squeezed her hand tighter and echoed, "That's why I say none of my wives are good people. Even my mother-in-law scolds them for being greedy. It's not worth getting angry with those scoundrels."

"Your sadness is only harming your own body, while they're overjoyed. Only by calming your mind can you recover faster..."

Madam Ming wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. "An illness that could be cured in six months before, after all this trouble, may not be cured for two years."

Xia advised, "As long as you can get better, two years is fine. Sister-in-law, remember, you can't be angry anymore. No matter what happens, you have to stay calm... Look at me, even after such a big thing happened, I still took it all in stride and went about my business."

Madam Ming said enviously, "I wish I had your personality."

"There's no other way. If anything happens to me, what will happen to my Yan'er?"

……

When the time came, Feng Chuchen went in, removed the silver needles, and began massaging Madam Ming again.

Xia stood up and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, please rest well. I'll head back now."

Madam Ming nodded, "Go ahead and get busy."

Ah Xuan, who had been quietly squatting on the small table eating nuts, suddenly looked up and uttered a clear, crisp "Little wife, little wife..."

The little thing sneaked in at some point, and these two words were the ones I heard most often, so I learned them.

Feng Chuchen and the others lowered their eyes and frowned, pretending not to hear.

A maid came over and forcibly dragged Ah Xuan out.

Even after we've gone outside, we can still hear it yelling and cursing, "You little brat, you little brat..."

Everyone wanted to laugh but dared not.

After all the treatments were completed, Feng Chuchen and Banxia were invited to a side room for lunch, accompanied by Granny Li.

After Feng Chuchen left, Granny Li helped Madam Ming to bed for her afternoon nap, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Madam Ming said, "Maiden, you've been with me for thirty years, is there anything you can't say directly?"

Granny Li began serving Madam Ming when she was ten years old; Madam Zhi was her former name.

Granny Li glanced at the side room, finding no one there, and then whispered, "Madam, please don't blame this old servant for being nosy."

"I don't blame you, tell me."

Granny Li bent down and lowered her voice even further, "I heard your conversation with the young lady just now. I think that what the young lady said sounded like comfort, but upon closer examination, it was as if she added fuel to the fire in the lady's heart, making the fire burn even brighter."

Madam Ming was taken aback. Thinking back carefully, she realized that she had indeed felt more depressed after speaking with Madam Xia.

Xia was clearly trying to persuade her...

Madam Ming wasn't stupid. She exclaimed in surprise, "You mean... Madam Xia harbors malicious intentions?"

Li Mama's face was serious. "This old servant dares not say that the aunt definitely has bad intentions towards Madam, but Madam, think about it carefully. If Madam's illness does not get better, besides Wanping, who will ultimately benefit?"

"The old servant figured it out. When the old lady returned to the mansion after being seriously injured, the lady had just finished her postpartum confinement and her bleeding had not yet healed. Coincidentally, at that time, the aunt caught a cold and was afraid of catching the illness, so she could not get close to serve the old lady.

"The lady had no choice but to personally take care of him for half a month despite her own illness, which worsened her condition and left her with a chronic illness."

Madam Ming stared blankly at Granny Li, her mouth slightly agape, her mind reeling.

Granny Li continued, "Madam, think about it again. In the past, whenever the Duke visited Wanping, the young lady would always mention, intentionally or unintentionally, how Kong Laosan slept with the maids and how he made her angry. It seems they share a similar plight. I advise you to try to think more positively."
"But every time, didn't it make you even angrier? Besides, right now, Aunt is in charge of the household affairs. Is Wanping really unaware that she bribed the servants to steal the contraceptive soup, or... is she happy to see it happen and going with the flow?"

These were words that Ming Shanyue had asked her to bring up with Madam Ming when she had the chance. Although Ming Shanyue was the son, he was too embarrassed to speak these private matters directly to his mother.

Madam Ming wasn't stupid; the Shangguan family was far more complicated than the Ming family. It was just that because the Ming family had a small population, and she had grown up with the Duke of Ming and his brothers, as well as Madam Xia, their bond was deep, so she hadn't given many things much thought. Now, jolted awake by a single word, she sat up abruptly, her cheeks flushed with anger, clutching her chest and panting, "That Xia Achan! I treated her with all my heart, yet she's been harboring this wicked intention all along!"

Granny Li patted her chest and advised, "That's why you mustn't get angry, Madam. If you get angry and harm your health, you'll only be doing that person's thing. You need to think more positively and cooperate with Doctor Feng in treating your illness."

"When you recover and take over the management of the household again, you can bring that woman back to her original state, make her behave herself as a divorced aunt, and always remember that her surname is Xia, not Ming. From now on, she should act according to Madam's wishes in everything she does... That would be truly satisfying."

Upon hearing this, Madam Ming's mind suddenly cleared.

"Yes, why should I do as she pleases? Degrading my own body and watching helplessly as everything that should belong to me is taken away by her..."

Granny Li smiled and said, "That's right."

Madam Ming became worried again, "Could she also harbor ill intentions towards her parents-in-law?"

Granny Li shook her head. "Master knows everything about what the young lady has done. Since he hasn't said anything inappropriate about her relationship with the old lady of the Duke's household, this old servant is too foolish to speculate."

"However, her greatest reliance is on her parents. If something were to happen to them... then even if she didn't want to leave the Ming family, she probably wouldn't be able to..."

When Madam Ming heard that her son knew about these things and had made arrangements, she felt even more at ease.

Granny Li added, "This old servant has another presumptuous remark: although the Duke has done wrong, he still values ​​the Madam in his heart. You must not let the Duke fall out with you, lest you give him an opportunity to take advantage of you and ruin your own health. Most importantly, there are also the eldest and second masters."

Madam Ming's lips trembled, and her gaze shifted to the sunlit window frame.

After a long pause, he finally said, "I always thought the Ming Prefecture was the cleanest place, but it turns out nowhere is clean..."

Granny Li said, "That person's surname is Xia, not Ming."

Madam Ming closed her eyes.

Granny Li covered her with the blanket.

She knew that the lady had taken her words to heart.

That evening, Feng Chuchen told her about going to celebrate Old Madam Ming's birthday.

Feng Buji asked, "Are both members of the Hu family going to offer birthday greetings?"

Feng Chuchen shook his head. "The Ming family and the Hu family are not familiar with each other, and they are not in the same circle, so they probably won't go."

"I went there but nobody wanted to play with me."

“After we wish the old lady a happy birthday, you can come with me to the main courtyard and play there.”

In the middle of the night, there was a loud bang at the door of the clinic.

This commotion must mean a pregnant woman is in danger and has been brought here.

Uncle Wu opened the door, and an old woman rushed in, saying, "My young mistress has been in labor for a day and a night but hasn't been able to give birth. The midwife said that both she and her baby are in danger, so we have to bring her here to ask Doctor Feng and Doctor Wang for treatment."

The midwife on duty had someone carry the woman to the delivery room and then came to ask Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang for help.

The woman's father-in-law was a wealthy merchant surnamed Zeng. He hired the best midwife and also spent thirty taels of silver to hire a female doctor.

The woman had been in labor for a day and a night without giving birth. The female doctor heard the fetal heartbeat getting weaker and weaker with a stethoscope, and then almost couldn't hear it anymore. She suggested that they invite Dr. Feng from Tongji Women and Children's Hospital, as there might still be hope.

The Zeng family knew that Dr. Feng was not usually available; even if she personally treated the pregnant woman, they would have to send her to the clinic, unless she was so powerful that Dr. Feng could not refuse.

After discussing it with his son, Mr. Zeng decided that it would be better to send his daughter-in-law directly to the clinic to give birth.

Giving birth there is believed to avert potential bloodshed and ensure the safety of both mother and child to the greatest extent possible.

Before leaving, Master Zeng instructed his second son, "The clinics that specialize in childbirth are filthy, so you must not go in. You can only wait outside."

Master Zeng said, "Yes, son understands."

The female doctor also came; it was Doctor Qin.

She happened to be resting at home when the Zeng family invited her over for thirty taels of silver.

Doctor Qin and several other women carried the woman into the clinic, while Master Zeng waited in a carriage outside.

The night wind howled, and breath turned to frost.

There were blankets and hand and foot warmers in the car, but Uncle Zeng was still shivering from the cold.

The driver kept jumping up and down, occasionally taking a sip of liquor to keep warm.

Master Zeng couldn't take it anymore and said to the coachman, "Find a family, give them two taels of silver, drive the carriage into their house to escape the cold, and have them cook me a bowl of sweet rice wine with poached eggs. Don't go to the Feng family's house; it's too close to the clinic."

In his view, the Feng family next door was also tainted by filth.

The driver found a house two households away from the Feng family. The family was very willing to earn the two taels of silver and welcomed them in.

Grandma Zeng gave birth to a son weighing six pounds and six ounces via episiotomy performed by Doctor Wang in the early morning. The infant was not breathing, but luckily, Doctor Feng lit the Life-Saving Incense and used Yin-Spirit Needles to save the infant.

After examining the woman's incision, Doctor Qin sighed, "This is much better than tearing a hole in her. It's just a pity I don't know how to operate, and I certainly wouldn't dare to operate on someone so important."

She was there when Sun Meiren gave birth.

When Master Zeng heard this, he was overjoyed. Everyone was safe and sound, and the foul air had not yet lingered in his house.

Is there really such a good thing in the world?

He dared not go to the clinic to see his son, nor did he dare let anyone bring his son out for him to see in such cold weather.

He paced back and forth at the entrance of the alley.

Seeing the younger brother of the Feng family go to the private school, I felt a deep pity for him.

I wonder what misfortune awaits this kid in the future, and whether he'll ever grow up.

Master Zeng was delighted and, in addition to paying for the acupuncture and hospitalization, gave Feng Chuchen fifty taels of silver, Wang the doctor who performed the episiotomy ten taels of silver, and the midwife and Banxia who assisted in the delivery two taels of silver each.

He added, "From now on, whenever a woman in my family gives birth, we'll send her here."

The Zeng family had not only four wives, but also more than a dozen concubines.

Feng Chuchen was exhausted and slept until late afternoon before going to the Ming Mansion.

Granny Li had been waiting outside the hanging flower gate. When she saw them finally arrive, she stepped forward and said with a smile, "Oh my, you've finally come. I was just about to send someone to see what happened."

Banxia smiled and said, "My daughter was tired after receiving the Yin Shen Needle this morning."

Feng Chuchen only performed acupuncture; Banxia did everything else.

To Feng Chuchen's surprise, Madam Ming's mental state underwent a major change. Her eyes showed determination, and she no longer sounded dejected at all.

She must have figured it out. Women from wealthy families don't just think about love and romance if they want to live a comfortable and carefree life; what they value more is always their sons and their interests.