Jinyi Spring

Chapter 139 Nourishing Pill

With red eyes, Feng Chuchen asked, "How is my mother?"

She knew she wasn't right, but she still asked that question.

Xiao Henian's expression darkened, and he shook his head. "Her health has always been poor. She worries about her son and feels guilty for not protecting her daughter. She has a lot on her mind. She hasn't had a chance to tell her that she found you yet."

"Your elder brother, Prince Qin, was overwhelmed with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy upon hearing the news of you, and wept uncontrollably. My child, Chen'er, you have suffered so much these years."

Feng Chuchen shook her head and said, "I didn't suffer in the Feng family. Although we weren't rich, my aunt, adoptive parents, and Aunt Wang treated me very well and never let me get cold or hungry. My younger brother also relied on me a lot, and we were like brothers. The one who really suffered was... my mother."

Xiao Henian felt a pang of pain in his heart. "Prince Qin, myself, and Lord Ming have been secretly plotting to bring justice to you and your daughter, and to clear the Xiao family's name. Your uncle should thank you; without you, your uncle would have lost his life long ago..."

The two spoke softly about the trivialities of their lives over the years. Xiao Henian then mentioned Xiao's illness, which was no secret. He had not only asked Xiao about it before, but also about the imperial physician and female doctor who had treated Qingxin, and had even brought several prescriptions written by the imperial physician.

Feng Chuchen silently wrote it down and then took the prescription.

She pursed her lips, but still asked the question that had been troubling her, "I heard that Mother is not happy in the palace..."

Xiao Henian sighed and said, "That's right. My sister... doesn't really want to marry into the royal family, but she can't disobey the imperial decree. The emperor knows her feelings, so the two of them have always harbored resentment towards each other."

That's it!

In the past, Feng Chuchen only felt that identity was a golden cage, heavy and cold, and she only wanted to stay far away from it.

Later, thinking of her mother still enduring the years of hardship by the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp at Zixia Nunnery, and of her brother still walking on the edge of a knife, cautious in his words and deeds as if walking on thin ice... she felt something clench her heart, and a kind of urgent urgency that was almost painful arose.

She longed for the long-buried injustice to be redressed, and yearned to be able to openly call her "Mother," and to personally help her recover from the damage caused by age and heartache.

However, her uncle's words made her heart sink again.

Her mother refused to marry even the Emperor, so she must already have someone she loves. The Emperor knew her secret and was displeased, which is why he didn't investigate the authenticity of "Red Hare" and simply forced her to become a nun…

If the case is overturned, her mother will have to return to the palace to face the man she has wanted to escape her whole life.

Wouldn't that be like escaping one sea of ​​suffering only to fall into another cage? She won't find true liberation and freedom; she'll simply move from one visible constraint to another, a more glamorous and dangerous prison.

How pitiful the mother would be then.

Feng Chuchen lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously clenching her sleeves. She seemed to see her mother's hands, which once played the zither and held scrolls, but were now only withered and silent, and behind the heavy curtains of the deep palace, she could still not feel an inch of real warmth.

This case must be solved. But once solved, how will the mother go on with her life...?

Ming Shanyue's voice from outside the window pulled her back to reality, "Hurry up, there's plenty of time."

Time flies, and before we've said enough, it's time to say goodbye again.

Xiao Henian suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly took out several silver notes from his pocket.

He first stuffed three bills into Feng Chuchen's hand, "These are from His Highness Prince Qin. He asked me to tell you that you don't need to work too hard to make a living in the future, he will take care of everything."

He placed two more notes into her palm. “This is a small token of my appreciation. Chen’er, don’t forget. Don’t work too hard. Take care of yourself. You’re too thin… I was also thinking of sending a small token to Xiao Buji, but Master Ming said we’ll do it later.”

Feng Chuchen looked at the silver note in her hand, feeling the warmth and concern of her blood relatives as she touched her fingertips. In this life, she still had blood relatives who cherished her, worried about her hardships, and were willing to take care of her…

She took out an indigo-colored purse from her bosom. It was made of satin and embroidered with simple intertwined floral patterns. "I made this myself. Please give it to my brother, Uncle. The stitching isn't very good, so please don't laugh."

She then took out a small, dark brown medicine pouch, tied with a plain rope, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. "This is for my uncle. Inside are some calming and sleep-aiding herbs, which I prepared myself. Please don't find it too simple."

She also wanted to bring Qingxin a gift, but Mingshanyue told her through Guo Hei that they would talk about it later.

Xiao Henian only meets Qingxin once a year, on the fifth day of the first lunar month. As for Qin Wang, it is still unknown when he will be able to see her again.

Xiao Henian took the purse and medicine pouch, examined them several times, his eyes crinkling with laughter. "Excellent, excellent, Chen'er is very skillful."

This compliment made Feng Chuchen feel embarrassed.

She opened the door, and the intense sunlight outside made her squint.

Ming Shanyue stood about two steps away from the door.

At this moment, he really wanted to test whether the distance between him and Miss Feng had become "closer" enough, but he dared not make any rash moves.

Today's task is too important to make any mistakes.

Feng Chuchen nodded to Ming Shanyue, stepped into the courtyard, and silently took the medicine box from Song Xian's hands.

Zheng He, who was behind the courtyard gate, opened the gate, and Feng Chuchen walked out.

The long alley was quiet, and golden sunlight shone on the blue bricks.

The gate to the Feng residence was wide open, and Guo Hei was leaning against the door with his arms crossed, as if watching a commotion.

Only when Feng Chuchen came out did the wariness in his eyes relax.

Feng Chuchen sat down inside, and the scenes from earlier slowly settled and rippled in her heart.

The uncle in this life is similar to the uncle in the previous life not only in appearance, figure, and temperament, but also in the tenderness he shows when looking at her.

She became even more certain that her mother in this life was exactly the same as her mother in her previous life.

And then there was her brother, whom she had yet to meet; his promise that "he'll take care of everything" warmed her heart. Having lived two lives, this was the first time she had felt the love and protection of her own brother.

The one who came to the aid of the emperor gave six thousand taels of silver, while the uncle gave four thousand taels of silver.

With so much money, she certainly no longer needed to struggle for a living. However, her practice of medicine wasn't entirely for survival. It also stemmed from her deep love for medicine and her commitment to continuing and upholding her aunt's legacy.

The sound of Big Head barking came from outside, followed by Feng Buji's loud shout.

"sister!"

The young boy, covered in sweat, ran into the east wing, grabbed his sister's hand, and put it on his face. "It's so cool. I've been thinking about your hand all day."

Feng Chuchen used her other hand to wipe his sweat, saying, "I've already cooled down the mung bean soup for you."

Feng Buji leaned into her arms and said coquettishly, "No matter how cold it is, it's not as refreshing as my sister's."

Feng Chuchen suddenly realized that if Ming Shanyue were to act decisively and quickly overturn the case, once her identity was revealed, she would be unable to control her own destiny. She would have to move into the palace; what would happen to her younger brother?
What she missed most was her younger brother and the clinic.

Of course, she had to keep the clinic running; it was her livelihood.

Before her younger brother got married, she had to take him with her wherever she went... But if the palace was fraught with danger, and if she had to get involved in palace intrigue for the sake of her mother and brother, she could no longer keep her brother by her side.

Then, temporarily send him to the Xiao residence or the residence of Princess Yanghe.

One was her maternal uncle's family, and the other was her paternal aunt's family.

Shangguan Ruyu and Feng Chuchen are extremely close siblings, and the Imperial Son-in-Law Shangguan has a past relationship with his aunt. Princess Yanghe has always been kind to the siblings... Logically, it would be best to send them to their home.

Princess Ke Yanghe was the Empress Dowager's biological daughter and Consort Xue's cousin.

After comparing the options, Feng Chuchen decided it would be better to send him to her uncle's house. She straightened Feng Buji's silk clothes and told the maid to make two more satin outfits for him tomorrow. She didn't want to dress herself up, but she wanted to make her younger brother look handsome.

After the meal, Feng Chuchen closed the door, even shutting Ah Xuan, who had come to visit, out the window.

Ah Xuan felt hurt by the cold treatment he received at the Feng family's house for the first time and started cursing, "You little brat, you bastard, you little brat, you bastard..."

Feng Buji quickly pinched its little mouth and took it to his room to coax it.

Inside the room, a small ball of light flickered from the candlelight. Feng Chuchen slowly sat down at the table, thinking about her mother's illness.

Worried that her son would not survive, and heartbroken that her daughter had been murdered, she harbored deep resentment for years, day after day, year after year—the sorrow that had settled deep in her heart could no longer be lightly dismissed as a "heart ailment."

She had read the imperial physician's prescription. It prescribed herbs to soothe the liver and relieve depression, strengthen the spleen and nourish the heart, and included a lot of ginseng and lingzhi. Every prescription was correct, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea.

It wasn't that the medicine wasn't right; it was that my mother's heart, which had been barren for over a decade, could no longer be revived by medicine alone.

She put down her pen and wrote down the symptoms her uncle had described.

Insomnia: Extreme difficulty falling asleep, light sleep with easy awakening, and frequent dreams and palpitations.

Loss of appetite: The stomach cannot eat, the body becomes emaciated, and there is a deficiency of qi and blood.

Hypochondriac pain: This occurs along the liver meridian and is aggravated by anger and resentment.

Irregular menstruation: Insufficient nourishment of the Chong and Ren meridians, leading to amenorrhea.

Eye diseases: The liver opens into the eyes. Prolonged depression damages the liver, causing blurred vision. If left unchecked, it will worsen.

She put down her pen and took out a nanmu wood box from the cabinet.

The thousand-year-old ginseng lay quietly in the box, its color a deep ochre, with a bit cut off at the top, emitting an extremely pure and authentic medicinal fragrance.

This was a generous gift from the "antibiotics" family. At the time, she only appreciated it, but now she realizes that it was all preordained.

She decided to make her own elixir, which she tentatively named "Rongyang Dan" (meaning "Nourishing Elixir").

If ordinary decoctions cannot save a patient, then pills with stronger and milder medicinal properties are used to nourish them.

It does not treat acute illnesses or save those on the verge of death; it is dedicated to nourishing the vital energy of those who have been ill for a long time and whose five internal organs are weakened, and to taking a gradual approach to recovery.

She closed her eyes and pondered.

In her past life, her grandfather made a special trip to Beijing to help her former leader recuperate. She personally saw and copied all the prescriptions, memorizing every single word...

Remove the rootlets from the ginseng, steam it over a low flame for four hours, then remove and air-dry it. Repeat this steaming and drying process three times to remove its dryness and retain its mellow flavor.

It is made with six herbs including Polygonatum sibiricum and Polygonum multiflorum, which are steamed and dried nine times, and supplemented with wolfberry and mulberry to nourish the kidneys, longan pulp and jujube to nourish the heart and replenish blood, and Poria cocos and yam to strengthen the spleen and replenish qi.

All the herbs should be ground into an extremely fine powder, then mixed with Vitex negundo and honey until they "form beads when dripped into water," before they can be used to make pills.

The pills weigh two qian (approximately 6 grams). Seal them with a wax shell, place them in a sealed porcelain jar, and store them in a cool, dark place. They can be stored for many years without spoiling.

This pill contains the essence of ginseng from a thousand years ago, as well as the knowledge gained from two lifetimes.

With the addition of the herbal decoction she prescribed, and with long-term use, my mother should be able to recover.

Once mother and daughter were reunited, she stayed by her mother's side every day, personally offering her a Rongyang Pill, watching her recover little by little.

She could eat half a bowl more rice, sleep soundly until dawn, and the sorrow in her eyes slowly faded, revealing her former radiance once more—she was only thirty-six years old this year, just three years younger than him…

Feng Chuchen opened her eyes, a smile appearing on her lips. She carefully copied the prescription, put down her pen, and blew on the ink to dry it.

A distant, muffled drumbeat echoed.

She paused, then looked up at the window paper. The night was deep; it was already past midnight.

She seemed to pierce through the darkness and see a slender figure standing by the window in a meditation room...

Mother, will you have another sleepless night?

The next day, Feng Chuchen asked the pharmacist to prepare the auxiliary medicines, and the necessary medicinal materials were available in the clinic and pharmacy.

After these auxiliary medicines are prepared, it will take at least seven or eight days before she personally prepares the ginseng.

Just after the arrangements were made, Cai Yuxiu arrived at the clinic.

There happens to be a pregnant woman giving birth today. She's quite heavily pregnant, it's her first pregnancy, and her family isn't very well-off, so she'll likely need an episiotomy.

Pregnant women like this are easier to communicate with. If anything goes wrong, the medical center can easily influence them, and money can solve the problem.

Feng Chuchen said, "You do it. Don't be nervous, Aunt Wang and I will stay by your side."

Cai Yuxiu was both nervous and excited, "Can I do it?"

Feng Chuchen said, "Who are you? You are the niece of Doctor Cai, and you have her skills and my good master. Look at Banxia, ​​she is a few years younger than you, and she can already do it."

Cai Yuxiu quickly washed her hands, changed her clothes, put on a mask, and followed Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang into the delivery room.

The pregnant woman lay on the bed, her large belly protruding, groaning and crying out in pain from time to time, while the midwife, He, comforted her softly.

Dr. Cai had seen this scene many times before and was not afraid of it.

When she arrived in front of the woman in labor, Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang stood on either side of her, and she became nervous.

Today, she is the chief surgeon.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, the panic in her eyes had been replaced by focus. The scalpel fell, cutting, separating, stopping the bleeding... she had silently recited each step countless times in her mind.

The baby was born, and its loud cry instantly filled the delivery room. She quickly began stitching, and only after tying the last knot and cutting the thread did she finally smile.

She succeeded; she was the first female doctor to do so.

That evening, the Feng family treated everyone to a nice meal to celebrate Dr. Cai's success.

The following morning, Cai Yuxiu stepped into the Feng family's courtyard again.

Upon seeing Feng Chuchen, she knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times: "Master, please accept my bow."

Yesterday, upon returning home, she recounted in detail to her grandfather and father how she had learned the art of episiotomy and was able to perform it independently. Both elders were both surprised and delighted, repeatedly expressing their gratitude for her instruction and instructing her not to take it lightly, but to formally become a disciple and to sincerely show filial piety in the future.

Startled, Feng Chuchen quickly reached out to help her up: "Get up! We are sisters, how can I accept the title of 'master'?"

Cai Yuxiu refused to get up, and looked up at him earnestly, saying, "My grandfather and father said that you taught me such important medical skills, so you are my master. As soon as I got home yesterday, I started making shoe soles for you. I will send them over as soon as they are finished."

As she spoke, she presented a brocade box and a century-old ginseng root tied with a red ribbon.

The box contains the "Crane Bone-Setting Pill," a secret recipe passed down through the Cai family and one of the best bone-setting medicines in the Great Yan Dynasty.