Jinyi Spring

Chapter 120 A Good Marriage

The old lady's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh my, this is wonderful news! Dr. Feng is so young, yet he has such skills. He is even better than the imperial physicians and miracle doctors."

Feng Chuchen said modestly, "You flatter me, madam."

After everyone entered the room, Feng Chuchen examined the old lady's pulse and then carefully observed her complexion.

Wen Yan said, “The old lady’s acute condition has been greatly relieved. The symptoms of excessive Yang have gradually subsided, and the stagnation in the brain’s meridians has also been cleared. As for the pain caused by old injuries and the chronic gynecological problems, after treatment, the Qi and blood have gradually improved, and the condition has eased.”

She paused briefly, her expression turning serious. "The recovery from illness is gradual, requiring quiet rest to strengthen the body. You must always maintain a calm and peaceful mind, and absolutely avoid strenuous activity. That kind of martial arts competition must not happen again. If you feel unwell in the future, be sure to send someone to find me immediately."

These words made Xia's cheeks flush.

The old Duke glared and said, "It's my fault. Rong'er said she felt much better and wanted to relax, so I practiced a few moves with her."

The old lady was a little embarrassed and chuckled, "I'll listen to the doctor and not be naughty anymore."

The old lady gave Feng Chuchen a brocade box.

Aunt Xia also rewarded her with a purse, saying, "Dr. Feng has miraculous healing skills."

Kong Xiyan rolled her eyes and snorted softly.

Feng Chuchen was invited to have dinner at Fu Rong Tang.

Feng Chuchen instinctively wanted to refuse, but the old lady held her hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

The old man sat at one table, while Feng Chuchen sat at another table with several of the female hosts.

Madam Ming said, "Mother-in-law, I would like to go back to my parents' home tomorrow to visit my mother. I haven't left the manor for more than ten years."

The old lady smiled and said, "Now that you're better, it's time to go back to your parents' home to see your mother-in-law. Also, send a letter to the Empress Dowager; she often asks about your health. The day after tomorrow, you can accompany this old woman to the palace to visit her."

Madam Ming smiled and said, "Yes, it has been many years since I last visited the Empress Dowager in the palace."

Mrs. Xia's fingers, which were gripping the chopsticks, turned slightly white, and a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes. She quickly lowered her gaze, and when she looked up again, her eyes were clear.

He laughed and said, "Now that my sister-in-law is better, I can finally relax. I'll hand over the household chores to you this afternoon."

He looked extremely relaxed.

Madam Ming said politely, "Chan-mei, please continue to manage things. Let me relax for a few days before we talk about it again."

The old lady disapproved, saying, "You are the matriarch. Everyone else can shirk their responsibilities, but you cannot. Achan has worked hard for you for more than ten years. You cannot trouble her any further."

Madam Ming smiled gently and said, "It's my fault, daughter-in-law."

Feng Chuchen glanced at Xia Shi out of the corner of her eye, smiling gently and easily, without a trace of reluctance.

She even felt that she might have been wrong to suspect Xia Shi, and that the person who wanted to harm her and Madam Ming was Wanping.

After the meal, Feng Chuchen took his leave.

The old lady held her hand and said, "Even when I'm not sick, my little girl often comes to visit me. She brings Xiao Buji along too. I cherish you two, brother and sister."

Feng Chuchen agreed.

Madam Ming also said, "I have known Miss Feng for so long, and in my eyes you are like my own daughter. I also agree with what the old lady said: come to our mansion often when you have nothing to do, and chat with us."

As soon as Feng Chuchen left, the old man said, "I'll go tell San'er that Dr. Feng is truly a miracle doctor, and let Feng Xiaoya treat his illness."

The old lady instructed, "Tell San'er nicely that he must not lose his temper or hit anyone."

She looked worried. "One is thirty-eight, one is twenty-six, and one is twenty-two. None of them are married or have children. Other families are worried sick about just one person, but our family has three. Luckily, I'm magnanimous, otherwise I would have been driven crazy long ago."

What worries her most is her third son. If his illness can't be cured, how will they survive after she and her husband die without parents, a wife, or descendants?

I hope Dr. Feng can cure his illness.

A little over fifteen minutes later, the old man stormed back, shouting, "That brat, that wretched child, I'm never going to deal with him again!"

If Rong'er hadn't said those words beforehand, he would have definitely given him a good beating.

The old lady asked, "What's wrong?"

The old man stroked his beard and said, "I told him to ask Doctor Feng to treat his illness, but he said he wouldn't. If you insist on bringing her to him, he'll grab a stick and beat her to death. He even said it's immoral for a young woman to see someone with that kind of illness, that she has a face thicker than a wall..."

The old lady was so angry that her chest ached. "Doesn't he know that doctors are not divided by gender?" She then pulled the old Duke aside and advised, "My lord, don't be angry. Second son will be returning to the capital to report on his duties at the end of the year. Third son listens to second son the most. Let second son persuade him properly."

No one else could hear these words, so they left Fu Rong Tang.

Seeing Kong Xiyan walk ahead, Madam Ming whispered to Madam Xia about Kong Xiyan's intention to hit Feng Chuchen.

"Xi'er is already thirteen and is currently being asked to marry. If she doesn't curb her temper soon..."

Madam Ming sighed and shook her head.

Xia was so angry that her face turned ashen and tears welled up in her eyes.

“That wretched child has been a troublemaker since she was little. Doctor Feng has been doing her best to treat my mother and sister-in-law, and I wish I could treat her like royalty, but that wretched child has offended people like this. I know about it and will definitely keep her in check.”

Madam Ming continued, "Logically speaking, it's normal for our children to be a bit spoiled and have a bit of a temper; it's not a big mistake. However, some things and some words are better left unsaid. Tell Yan'er to tone down her temper a bit..."

Madam Ming paused, lowering her voice even further, "For example, today, in front of the servants, she shouted and threatened to kill, and at the drop of a hat, she would lock people in the imperial prison and use severe torture... If these words were heard by someone with ulterior motives, and then spread with embellishment, how would others view our Ming family?"
"Those who know say it's because our youngest daughter is outspoken. Those who don't know think it's because our magistrate is abusing his power and bullying others, which is also affecting Shanyue's reputation..."

Xia held her hand and said with tears in her eyes, "Thank you for reminding me, sister-in-law. And thank you for giving me some face by not revealing this in front of Father and Mother..."

Madam Ming watched Xia's hurried departure, a cold smile playing on her lips. Easier said than done, but all her previous sincerity towards her was wasted…

Xia returned to her own courtyard, where Kong Xiyan was already waiting.

She stood up and greeted her sweetly, "Mother, the day after tomorrow I want to go to the palace with Grandmother and my eldest aunt..."

"Shut up!" Xia interrupted, then shouted at the servant, "Get out."

The servants were so frightened that they quickly retreated, while Kong Xiyan stared at her mother in disbelief.

"mother……"

Xia's chest heaved violently as she angrily rebuked, "How many times have I told you not to cause trouble, not to provoke Feng Chuchen for no reason? Today you actually dared to have someone hit her and said such ignorant things."

Kong Xiyan said angrily, "Don't blame me, it was that lowly maid who humiliated me first. She asked me what rank my father held, what title my mother held, and what my rank was."

“I was so angry that I had someone beat her. Those old women are really hateful; they don’t listen to me at all. Mother, if you hand over the household affairs back to my eldest aunt, we’ll really just be relatives in this family.”

These words were like a needle, piercing Xia's heart. Her face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably, as if all her strength had been drained away.

If she hadn't married that useless man, she, who should have been a woman of high status, wouldn't have ended up in such a state... Seeing this, Kong Xiyan felt a little scared and hugged her arm, saying softly, "Mother, that wretched maid deserves to be beaten. If it weren't for her meddling, you wouldn't have had to hand over the household affairs. The day after tomorrow, it should be you accompanying Grandmother in the palace, not that sickly woman..."

"Shut up!"

Xia snapped back to reality and shrieked, interrupting her. The sharp voice pierced the silence. Realizing her lapse in composure, she took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her turbulent emotions, and lowered her voice even further.

"What a terrible child! How could I have raised such a brainless brat? We're relatives, we're supposed to depend on each other and live off each other..."

Tears welled up in Madam Xia's eyes. "Madam Shangguan is the head mistress of this household. Now that she has recovered from her illness, she should be in charge of managing the household affairs. If you continue to be ungrateful and anger her, we will not even be able to maintain the dignity of our stay as guests."

The first sentence was deliberately loudened, while the volume of the second sentence was lowered.

Kong Xiyan said incredulously, "How could that be? Mother is the only daughter of my maternal grandparents. She is a pampered guest. If my aunt dares to treat us badly, not only will my maternal grandparents disagree, but my uncle will also teach her a lesson."

Xia Shi could barely speak, “Your mother’s surname is Xia, not Ming. She’s just a godparent, not even a cousin.”

She gripped her daughter's thin shoulders tightly with both hands, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

"Didn't you see? I've managed the household affairs for so many years, and just as Shangguan Shi recovered from her illness, she came to seize power. Did any of them say a single word in Mother's defense? Not a single one!"

Her eyes suddenly reddened, and her voice trembled with the tension honed over two decades of cautiousness.

“From now on, you’d better control your temper and keep your mouth shut. What does Ming Shanyue do? He’s the Emperor’s eyes and ears, specializing in solving major cases in the court. We’re not blood relatives after all…”

Seeing her daughter's aggrieved tears, her own tears also fell suddenly. She continued, word by word, "Remember this: if you want to continue to live a respectable life in this mansion and to secure that good marriage, you'd better behave yourself."

She was filled with deep regret. If she had known her brother Wanping was so useless, she shouldn't have asked him to do that thing. The task hadn't been completed, and it might have even made people wary. She had to be extremely careful and couldn't reveal the slightest flaw…

Kong Xiyan was completely stunned by her mother's words, feeling utterly incredulous and extremely distressed. The "respect" and "honor" she had always relied on were so fragile.

It's all that wretched maid Feng Chuchen's fault. If she hadn't cured that sickly boy, my mother and I wouldn't be in this predicament...

She cried even harder and asked softly, "Mother, will my cousin really side with outsiders and not with us?"

Xia shook her head dejectedly, "I don't know, I'm just scared."

"What about my maternal grandparents?" Kong Xiyan grabbed the last piece of driftwood. "They wouldn't disown us, would they?"

Xia released her grip, wiped away her daughter's tears, and spoke in a weak voice, like a thin mist about to dissipate.

"Mother has served them for nearly twenty years, with all her heart and soul, with utmost care. Even her own daughter wouldn't have done that. They have always shown me some genuine affection. But we are not blood relatives after all, so we must know our place. Be good, don't cause any more trouble, and don't displease them any further."

Hearing her mother admit that her maternal grandparents truly loved them, Kong Xiyan finally felt a little better.

Fortunately, the elderly couple didn't have a daughter.

Once that marriage is arranged, the Ming family will have to rely on her and her mother in the future...

"My daughter knows."

Feng Chuchen, riding on the mule cart, felt incredibly relaxed.

Finally, I don't have to go to work at the Mingfu every day anymore.

She first opened the brocade box given to her by Madam Ming. On top was a silver note containing one thousand taels of silver. Below were six South Sea pearls, slightly larger than large peas, perfectly round and lustrous.

Inside the old lady's brocade box, there was still a silver note on top, containing four hundred taels of silver, and below it were a pair of chrysanthemum-patterned red gold filigree hair ornaments.

The silver note was for the consultation fee.

Excluding the consultation fees, the rewards from Madam Ming and the old lady over the past six months, plus the gifts from the Ming family, amounted to at least two thousand taels of silver.

In Mrs. Xia's brocade box was a jade plum blossom hairpin.

Banxia said happily, "Madam Ming rewarded me with fifty taels of silver, and the old lady rewarded me with ten taels. The total rewards I received from the Ming family are no less than one hundred taels, enough to build three large tiled houses in the countryside. Hehe, I never dared to dream of such a good life before."

Feng Chuchen joked, "You don't need to build a tiled house, just save it as your dowry."

Banxia blushed; she thought the same thing.

Back home, Mu Jin whispered as she opened the door, "This morning, Aunt Wang's brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and nephew's wife, a total of more than a dozen people, came to the clinic and made a scene, saying that Aunt Wang would rather raise an illegitimate child than her own biological nephew."

"There were even people who wanted to beat up the young man, and they were incredibly fierce. Aunt Zhang, Aunt He, and Aunt Jin argued with them, and Peony almost got into a fight with them. It was only when the police arrived just now that they were driven away."

"Aunt Wu said that it's good that Aunt Wang is with us. If she were living alone, she doesn't know how badly she would be bullied. She might even sell Ping boy."

Wang's brother and sister-in-law had come to make trouble several times before, demanding that she sell Wang Shuping and have her adopted as their son.

This is a case of resorting to threats and intimidation when their desires are not fulfilled.

Banxia said, "Fortunately, Aunt Wang saw through it all. If they had adopted their son, he would have been eaten alive, leaving not even bones."

She was also thankful that she was a servant of the Feng family, otherwise everything would have been taken away by those kind parents.

Feng Chuchen snorted coldly. This is just taking advantage of someone's childless family, and they do it so self-righteously.

She asked, "Where is Aunt Wang?"

"There's a woman over there who's about to give birth, and Aunt Wang is watching over her in the delivery room."

Wang Shuping squatted alone against the wall closest to the main house, hidden by several bamboo stalks, with Da Tou squatting beside him. The little guy had tear stains on his face, clearly frightened.

Feng Chuchen went over and pulled him up, laughing, "Come on, let's go to the street corner to buy candied hawthorns."

Wang Shuping stood up, holding Feng Chuchen with one hand and the rope tied to the head with the other.

On the way, Wang Shuping asked in a soft voice, "Big sister, will I be sold?"

The little one has gained a lot of weight and become more beautiful since coming to our home.

Feng Chuchen stopped and looked at him. "Is your mother good to you?"

"Yes, Mother is the best."

“Your mother loves you so much, how could she bear to sell you? Don’t ask such silly questions anymore, it will hurt your mother to hear them.”

Wang Shuping nodded his little head emphatically, "Hmm, I won't say."

"Your mother has had a hard life, so you should take good care of her in the future."

"Yes, my mother was exhausted from delivering the baby, so I served her tea and massaged her back."

"What a good kid."

(End of this chapter)