Jinyi Spring

Chapter 119 Madam Ming Recovers from Illness

The room was peaceful, except for Kong Xiyan, who was frowning and wringing her handkerchief tightly.

A young female doctor, who previously tried every means to please her aunt, is now trying to please her maternal grandparents.

What's even worse is that it caused him to be grounded, beaten, and verbally abused...

Bah, you slut!

I have to teach this brat a lesson to vent my anger, but I need to find a good excuse.

Feng Chuchen got up to take his leave, but the old lady urged him to stay, saying, "After dinner, have the driver take you home."

Feng Chuchen politely declined, saying, "No, I have patients waiting at the clinic."

After she left, and after Kong Xiyan departed, she dismissed the servants and revealed her true intentions.

"Feng Xiaoya's medical skills are superb. I think she has a good chance of curing San'er's illness. If he can really recover, then we'll arrange for Feng Xiaoya to be his wife."

These words startled Xia.

The old lady explained further, "We don't know when or if Shan Yue will find his destined wife. If he can't, no matter how useless Shan Feng is, he is still the heir to the Duke's mansion, and his wife must come from a prominent family."

"As for the third son, our family doesn't expect to gain power through marriage with his in-laws. Marrying Feng Xiaoya into the family will also be good for his health."

Madam Xia hurriedly said, "Mother, no matter how good Doctor Feng is, she often goes in and out of the birthing room, which is a dirty place and is considered unlucky. Even those from humble families don't want to see her, let alone our Duke's mansion."

The old lady shook her head and said, "I have never believed in the nonsense about the birthing room being unlucky. My eldest son was born in a tent at the front, with my husband by my side. Not only was he not affected by any bloodshed, but he also led the army to victory the next day."

The old man also thought of those past events and smiled, "Yes, when Rong'er gave birth to our eldest son, I held her hand the whole time and watched our eldest son being born."

Xia then added tactfully, "Mother, I also like Doctor Feng. But she's aloof, and my third brother is stubborn. Can they really get along?"

The old man thought there was some truth to it. "San'er is not only stubborn, but when he's unhappy he can make a huge fuss. He won't utter a word for ten days or half a month. He's like a gourd without a mouth."

The old lady shook her head and said regretfully, "It seems that the two of them are indeed not suitable. It's a pity that such a good girl can't be brought into our family."

She really liked that girl.

The old man also felt it was a pity. "Hmph, I'll go beat up Ming Laosan and vent my anger for Rong'er."

The old lady held his hand. “Third son is also pitiful. Before he got that disease, he was outgoing, cheerful, and handsome. Even the Empress Dowager liked him and wanted to arrange a marriage between him and Princess Qingshan.”

Granny Li accompanied Feng Chuchen as they left Furong Hall, and the two went to the back door together.

We agreed yesterday that I would go to Granny Li's house for a medical check-up today. Granny Li's nephew is waiting for me at her house.

Her nephew's family lives in Chengzhou, which is more than 500 miles away from Beijing. They brought their child to Beijing yesterday to seek medical treatment.

The child is named Gouzi (Dog), is five years old, and was born with a deficiency in his constitution, hence the humble name.

When Feng Chuchen saw the child, he saw that he was just like Feng Buji when he was a child, thin as a rake and pale-faced.

He underwent a full examination and, like Feng Buji, not only suffered from deficiency but also from asthma.

Feng Chuchen performed bloodletting and acupuncture, and also prescribed herbal medicine.

It was agreed that the child would stay in Beijing for a month, with Feng Chuchen personally administering acupuncture. When returning to his hometown, he would bring back the herbal medicine prescribed by Feng Chuchen, and then come back to Beijing for a follow-up visit six months later.

Granny Li was very grateful. She stuffed a package and a food box into Zisu's hands and personally escorted Feng Chuchen to the alley entrance.

Feng Chuchen asked about something that had been on her mind, "I heard from the nanny that my aunt refused to come and help Madam Ming give birth?"

Granny Li smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Miss Feng, I'm sorry. I had some reservations about Doctor Feng before; it was my fault. Doctor Feng's wife is of noble character and fearless of the powerful..."

Seeing Feng Chuchen looking at her intently, she felt awkward and had no choice but to tell the truth.

"When the lady gave birth to the second master, it was extremely dangerous. She was in labor for a whole day and night but could not deliver. In desperation, we had to send someone to fetch Dr. Feng from the western suburbs. The person returned and said that Dr. Feng was not at home; he had gone elsewhere to deliver the baby."

"The next day, the lady still hadn't given birth and was in so much pain that she couldn't even scream. She sent her servant to fetch Doctor Feng. The servant returned and said that when she went, Doctor Feng was just about to go out to deliver the baby, saying that the woman in labor was about to die."

"The old woman said my mistress was dying too, and begged her to come and save her first. But Doctor Feng said that there's a first-come, first-served rule; if someone else asked her first, she had to go to that person's house. The old woman was furious and even shoved Doctor Feng a few times, so she had to leave empty-handed..."

"Unexpectedly, Madam's illness was ultimately cured by the descendants of Dr. Feng. I'm sorry for blaming her for so many years. Actually, if I calm down and think about it, she didn't do anything wrong."

She was too embarrassed to say it, because the person who went to invite her hadn't managed to forcibly bring Doctor Feng over and had even been punished with a beating.

Feng Chuchen remained silent. Her aunt was indeed principled and stubborn. If both mothers were in danger, she would definitely go to the family that had helped her first, rather than choosing the latter because of power.

It was quite a coincidence that I couldn't get him to come to my door twice after asking.

Back home, Aunt Wang had just delivered a newborn baby and was resting under a tree when Xiao Shuping peeled some peanuts and fed them to her.

Aunt Wang ate with a satisfied expression.

Feng Chuchen sat down next to her, and Xiao Shuping fed Feng Chuchen another pill.

"Big sister, eat."

Feng Chuchen pinched his little face and gave him a few pieces of dragon beard candy that the Li family had given him. "Go find Jiang Laowu to play."

Wang Shuping took the candy and ran off happily.

Feng Chuchen asked, "Aunt Wang, do you remember when Madam Ming gave birth to Second Master Ming, the Ming family came to invite Auntie, but Auntie refused to go to the Ming family to deliver the baby on the grounds of 'first come, first served'?"

Aunt Wang thought for a moment, "It's something that happened more than ten years ago, how could I remember? Many people asked my eldest sister to deliver babies, and indeed there were many times when one family would come to ask for her help, and before she even left the house, another family would come to ask for her help."

"Both families said the woman in labor was in a hurry, but my eldest sister insisted on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of this, my eldest sister had been beaten before, and her house had been vandalized. Buji's father was in poor health, and when Buji's mother and I tried to stop them, we were all beaten. Those damned bastards, they were so unreasonable..."

Thinking of the hardships her aunt and this family had endured, Feng Chuchen felt a pang of sympathy. Fortunately, the Ming family didn't abuse their power and send anyone to beat her aunt; otherwise, their help would have been in vain.

She cured Madam Ming's illness, which can be considered as making up for her aunt's regret.

On the morning of the second day of the third lunar month, the rising sun was blazing.

Feng Chuchen and Banxia went to the Ming Mansion again.

Flowers bloom and willows turn green along the way, birds sing and warblers chirp, spring is in full bloom.

Feng Chuchen's mood was as bright as the spring sunshine. If nothing unexpected happened, they could announce today that Madam Ming's uterine prolapse had been cured.

Her abilities were even greater than expected; despite the relapses in her condition, she cured the stubborn illness within six months.

Before they even reached the main courtyard, they ran into Kong Xiyan again.

The young girl wore a pink silk dress and a light blue shawl. If it weren't for the hatred in her eyes, she would be like a flower bud just beginning to bloom in spring, delicate and charming, lovable to behold.

Feng Chuchen ignored her and, as she passed by, heard a sharp shout.

"stop."

Feng Chuchen stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Kong Xiyan had been wanting to pick a fight with Feng Chuchen, but there had always been others around. Today was the perfect opportunity. Her eyebrows furrowed, "A mere country doctor, and he doesn't even bow to me!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid behind her shouted sharply, "How dare you! How rude! Quickly give my young lady a deep bow!"

Feng Chuchen looked at her and sneered twice, "You want me to bow to you? May I ask, Miss Kong, what rank does your father hold? What title does your mother hold? And what is your own noble title?"

In terms of true social standing, Kong Xiyan was the descendant of a disgraced official, far inferior to the descendants of the "Mother of a Thousand Infants."

Kong Xiyan was furious. She hated it most when anyone mentioned her father. This brat's words were like daggers to her heart.

She raised her hand to slap Feng Chuchen in the face, but Feng Chuchen reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and pushing her forward.

"Ah!" Kong Xiyan staggered back two steps and was supported by the maid.

Seeing their mistress being taken advantage of, the two maids rushed forward to beat Feng Chuchen.

Banxia was about to stand in front of Feng Chuchen when Feng Chuchen flicked each of them on the forehead, causing the two girls to cover their heads and squat down, crying out in pain.

Kong Xiyan was furious, but dared not strike again. She screamed, "How dare you hit my man! I'll have my cousin arrest you and take you to the imperial prison, where you'll be tortured and burned to death with a branding iron..."

Just as the commotion was getting out of hand, several old women from a distance heard the noise and ran over.

Kong Xiyan, as if seeing a savior, pointed at Feng Chuchen and shouted, "This lowly servant dares to hit me! Seize her and take her to the outer courtyard for fifty lashes!"

The old woman knew how much Dr. Feng meant to the old lady and the first wife, so even if she wanted to help her cousin, she wouldn't dare to hit her rashly. Besides, they both knew that the cousin was always arrogant and domineering, and often caused trouble.

He advised, "Miss, please calm down. Doctor Feng still needs to treat the First Madam and the Old Madam. After she finishes her treatment, we will ask Aunt for permission to punish her."

Kong Xiyan dared not let her mother know about this, and scolded, "You dog servant, you don't even obey my orders?"

Feng Chuchen ignored her and led Banxia around her.

Kong Xiyan was so angry that she stomped her feet, but dared not step forward to stop her.

Madam Ming was watering the flowers in the courtyard with a watering can. There was only half a can of water, and after watering several pots, a layer of fine sweat had appeared on the tip of her nose.

Dongmei took the showerhead from her hand and said with a smile, "Madam, please rest and take your time."

Feng Chuchen walked in, her face masked with frost.

Madam Ming was taken aback. Doctor Feng was usually aloof and his expression was always indifferent. She had never seen him so angry before.

He hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with Dr. Feng?"

Feng Chuchen curtsied respectfully and said solemnly, "Madam, I just encountered your esteemed cousin on the road. She scolded me, a mere physician, for not giving her a proper curtsy. I then inquired about your father's official rank, your mother's title, and your own noble rank."

“I was just paying my respects according to the proper etiquette… but to my surprise, she threatened to have Lord Ming arrest me and take me to the imperial prison for severe punishment, and even ordered the nanny to tie me up and have me beaten with fifty strokes of the cane in the front yard…”

Madam Ming was both shocked and furious upon hearing this. "How could Yan girl be so disrespectful? She is also a commoner; how can she accept courtesy from others?"

He then took Feng Chuchen's hand and gently advised, "Miss Feng, don't be angry. Yan'er is spoiled. I will definitely have her mother discipline her properly and make her apologize to you."

Feng Chuchen snorted coldly, "I cannot accept her apology."

Granny Li whispered, "Miss, you really think you're a proper young lady after staying in the Duke's mansion for so long? Last time you even instigated the eldest princess to find fault with Miss Feng, which almost ruined the old lady's sixtieth birthday banquet."

"When my aunt found out, she was furious and gave her a severe scolding. It hadn't been long since things calmed down, and now she's starting to cause trouble again."

Of all these servants, only Granny Li dared to speak so frankly.

Madam Ming sighed, "That girl has already started talking about her future husband's family, and she's still such a worry."

After the group entered the room and examined Madam Ming's pulse, Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Congratulations, Madam Ming. Your pulse is stable, your qi and blood are abundant, and your chronic illness has been cured. There is no need for acupuncture or medicine anymore. Just remember the recuperation method I instructed you to use earlier, and you will be fine."

Madam Ming had already clearly felt the changes in her body and was just waiting for Doctor Feng to announce the final diagnosis.

The hidden illness that had tormented her for over a decade and driven her to despair had actually been cured, and Madam Ming was moved to tears.

She didn't bother wiping herself, and took Feng Chuchen's hand, saying, "I thought my days were numbered and I would be bedridden... but I never expected Miss Feng to have such miraculous healing skills, allowing me to live like a normal person."

"For more than a decade, I have not stepped out of the mansion gates, nor have I seen the dawn outside..."

She covered her face with a handkerchief and burst into tears.

Tears held years of accumulated pain and despair, a life confined to a small space, the outside world as small as a tiny window, yet she forced a smile to find other women for her husband…

The servants all took out their handkerchiefs and wept with him.

While wiping away her tears, Granny Li tried to comfort her, "Madam, this is a joyous occasion..."

Madam Ming wiped away her tears, "I'm so happy that Miss Feng couldn't believe it."

She stretched out her hand, and Granny Li went into the room and brought out an exquisite brocade box to present to her.

Madam Ming placed the brocade box into Feng Chuchen's hands, saying, "Thank you, Doctor Feng, for saving my life."

Granny Li then handed Banxia a small box, saying, "This is a gift from the Madam."

Banxia curtsied to thank Madam Ming.

Feng Chuchen gave her acupuncture for the last time.

It was still early after the acupuncture treatment, so Madam Ming personally accompanied them to Fu Rong Courtyard.

If the old lady's condition stabilizes, she won't need to come to the Ming Mansion every day anymore.

Before even entering the hanging flower gate, one could hear a commotion coming from inside, with the old man's voice being particularly loud.

Inside the second courtyard, an old man and an old woman, both dressed in martial arts attire, were having a martial arts match.

Xia Shi and a group of maids and servants watched from the side. Kong Xiyan was also there, acting as if nothing was wrong, and even rolled her eyes at Feng Chuchen.

The old lady threw a punch, which the old man blocked. The old man then threw a punch back, which the old lady deflected. It was clear that the old man was letting the old lady win, but the old lady was still fighting very seriously.

Madam Ming said anxiously, "Don't let the old man hurt his back."

Mrs. Xia smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, Father knows what he's doing."

The two elders continued their discussion for over fifteen minutes before stopping. Mrs. Xia personally took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from the old lady's forehead and face.

As the legitimate daughter-in-law, Madam Ming found herself unable to get involved, which made her feel somewhat awkward.

The old lady looked at Madam Ming and asked, "Has the eldest daughter-in-law finished her treatment?"

Madam Ming smiled and said, "Yes, Doctor Feng said my illness is cured and I don't need treatment anymore."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

(End of this chapter)